FT: The Mistress of the Universe
by Her Pretty Smile
Summary: —Eventual Nalu. Lucy-centric. Lucy Heartfilia runs away from home after discovering that she has the most powerful magic ever known. Then she stumbles upon Natsu Dragneel and he brings her to Fairy Tail, the place where her adventures begin. However, the end of the world is fast approaching, and only she, the mistress of the universe, can stop it. [Rated T to be safe]
1. Episode 1: Encounter

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* * *

**FT: The Mistress of the Universe**

by Her Pretty Smile

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**A/N:** All optical phenomenon described and explained here in this story were researched by me and if there are any flaws or errors made, then perhaps my references were not that trustworthy. Also, the genres are romance, drama, angst, friendship, and a bit of family. **Also, if there are some who are expecting Gruvia, I'm sorry, but I'm not a fan of this pairing.** There will be Gruvia, but it will be completely one-sided.

**WARNING:** This is unbeta-ed. There may be errors evident. Additionally, if there are those who oppose to Lucy being some kind of powerful protagonist, I'm going to have to inform you that this is my aim, but just a little different from what you are expecting. She is not perfect. Every powerful magic has its own flaws and curses. I intend not to make her a Mary Sue, because that would not be very preferable.

**DISCLAIMER:** Fairy Tail solely belongs to Hiro Mashima. I, an amateur writer, am only borrowing his characters and a part of his storyline.

* * *

**FOREWORD**

—I hereby state the fact that this work of fiction that I have presented here is not a way of implying that I am dissatisfied with the plot of the original series Fairy Tail. I made this fanfic for entertainment purposes and also for me to share it with others. Even if it is imperfect and has the possibility of having technical and logical errors, I do hope that all of you will enjoy.

* * *

**DEDICATIONS**

_To "angel", who has always been the one I admire._

_To "baby", who has given me what I do not deserve._

_To daiisuki-chan, who has been there for me for four years._

_To ajm08, who has given me a bird's-eye view on what is real or not._

_And to "straw", who has always been so close yet seems so far out of my reach._

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**Episode 1**: _Encounter_

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I WAS SEVENTEEN WHEN I ran away from home, clutching Mama's journal tightly in my arms. Tears were streaming down my face in rivulets as the horrible, life-changing reality of my true role in this world came crashing down on me with a large impact I've never known existed. It was the hugest burden a person had to carry; you had to make sure that you weren't discovered by anyone.

And everything depended on me. _Everything_.

The train I was riding on suddenly stopped and I was thrown forward. Luckily, I had a seatbelt on, therefore preventing me from getting my head hit. But it didn't stop me from shaking in fear and denial. How could Mama not tell me about this? If I'd known earlier, would it have made a difference? Would I have sought help from her, sought guidance from her?

"Miss," a heavyset man wearing a blue knitted uniform said to me flatly. "This is the last stop."

I snapped out of my reverie and looked at him in apprehension. "Where are we?" I asked, biting my lower lip slightly.

"You're in the port town of Hargeon, Magnolia."

"Oh." I stood up slowly, placing Mama's journal inside the handbag I was carrying. The other contents consisted of my wallet with all of my savings in it and some apple slices inside a small plastic. I was a nut for fruit.

As I made my way towards the exit, I pondered about what I would do now that I was in a place far away.

_What I have to do first is to find a job to support myself. Since I'm a mage with preferences, I think it's better to join a guild that isn't too flashy for my tastes._ I allowed a sad frown to appear on my face. _I just need to get away first and forget about the somewhat normal life I once had._

As I stepped out of the train, numerous girls swept past me, knocking me down to the ground, hard. Muttering a curse under my breath, I picked myself up, dusting off layers of dirt that were visible on the fabric of my dress. Fortunately, I'd worn the exquisite black cocktail dress my Mama had always said to me that I should always wear whenever I go out or spar with her so that the dirt that would gradually appear on it wouldn't be greatly noticeable. She'd originally made it as battle wear, but I never got the chance to wear it back then.

Underneath the dress, I'd put on dark-blue shorts (just in case) and a black tube with intricate designs. I'd worn the silver necklace my Mama had given to me for my seventh birthday, and also the immortal blood-red rose she'd made for me. I always used it to tie up my hair into a bun.

Mama once said to me that the necklace and the rose were going to be my trademark when I'd decided to give up on being her _normal _daughter.

I hadn't known what she'd meant by that, but now I understood.

From now on, I wasn't going to be Lucy Heartfilia, the daughter of one of the wealthiest men in Fiore. I was going to be just Lucy, an average mage.

Not _the mistress of the universe._

* * *

-;-

* * *

I WENT INSIDE A Magic Store and checked out some weapons and keys that I could use.

After a few minutes, I'd selected a rare whip, a silver key which contained the Celestial Spirit Nikola, a special pair of black boots, and eight thick training books.

"I'll take these, please," I said to the man behind the counter.

He looked at me in lewd appreciation, and I flinched mentally. I'd forgotten how the male population always looked at me, and how many troubles I'd gotten into when I'd fallen right into their trap.

Well, I was not the naïve, helpless girl I'd once been. Mama's journal helped me greatly in enhancing my muscular strength and my skills.

"That'll be 450,000 jewels," the man said, leering at me. "But I'll give you a big discount if you'll give me some fun."

I narrowed my eyes while getting the exact amount from my wallet. "No thank you," I said as politely as I could.

In my mind, I was calculating the money I had left. My savings were a full 100,000,000 jewels thanks to my huge allowance and secret side-jobs. Not to mention that sometimes otou-san would triple up my allowance if I did something he wanted, so it was a huge plus.

So if I added 450,000 for my supplies, 700,000 for the down payment for a comfortable-looking apartment that I'd seen on the Weekly Sorcerer Magazine, 500,000 for necessary furniture, 600,000 for necessities, 800,000 for clothes, and another 500,000 for a full stock of food, I'd have 96,450,000 jewels left. But I knew that despite the riches I had, it'd all be gone if I didn't get a decent job. Not to mention that even if the monthly rent was going to be only 80,000 jewels (a bargain!), it'd be really hard for me. Food was also going to be a problem. I was going to have to get used to not eating luxurious foods from now on.

"Here," I said to the man absently, giving him the money. He took it slowly and placed my newly-bought things in a paper bag, his eyes never leaving me.

_Maybe I should also include some nice bath products and cosmetics…_

"Hey, you've got a ton of cash there," the man remarked, gaping at my wallet. I instantly saw the hungry look in his eyes and knew that I was starting to get in trouble. "You must be some kind of rich young lady for you to have this insane amount of money!"

I immediately closed my handbag. "I only saved up for ten years, and it had gotten bigger," I said calmly.

Suddenly he produced a magic knife and pointed it at my neck. "You're out of luck, girlie. Give me all that money, and I'll be sure to spare you!"

I looked at him. "What are you doing?"

He continued on as if he didn't hear me. "This shop's remote-controlled, so I've closed all the windows and doors. You've got no way out of here!"

Using my lightning-quick reflexes, I took the rare whip from the paper bag he'd placed it in and enveloped it with golden flames. Acting fast, I caught his arm holding the knife with it and he screamed out in pain.

"You bitch!" he cursed.

I took the paper bag using my free hand. "I'll be going now," I said to him composedly. "I know that this place isn't remote-controlled. Your bluff isn't going to work if it's used against me."

I released him from the whip's grip and glared at him. He backed away in fright.

"If you ever do the same thing to other people again, I'll make sure you'll never see the light of day again." And I walked out of the store, feeling triumphant.

_Geez, people nowadays…_ I shook my head.

* * *

-;-

* * *

I WALKED AROUND FOR a while, savouring the sights of Magnolia. It was a nice place, and it was pretty peaceful.

That is, until I heard shrill screams that nearly made my eardrums explode.

"How dare you insult Salamander-sama!"

"Go away!"

"What the heck?" I turned to the source and saw a boy my age with spiky pink hair and slanted onyx eyes being kicked around by a crowd of girls. Feeling instant sympathy, I marched over to him.

"Hey, what are you all doing?" I said to the angry mob of girls. "What has he done wrong?"

The boy looked at me inquisitively.

"He insulted Salamander-sama!" one girl said, her face red in anger. But there was something in her eyes that made me stare.

_Are those… hearts? And the name Salamander just seems too familiar… _I was thoughtful for a moment before the memory came back to me._ Oh, it's the famous fire mage from Fairy Tail._

I saw a man not too far away looking at the scene with amusement. After a quick deduction, I presumed that he was the Salamander the girls were going crazy for.

But then I noticed the ring he wore.

_A charm spell_, I realized. _What a fraud. I bet he's not the real one._

"What do we have here?" Fake Salamander approached me with interest. "What is such a beautiful girl like you doing here, helping a stranger?"

I narrowed my eyes. He was using charm on me. _Well, it won't work_.

He seemed to be puzzled by this, too, but regained his composure in a matter of seconds. "Would you like to come for a dinner party at my boat tonight?" he asked.

"No, thank you," I said immediately.

His face seemed to fall at my reply. "All right then. I'm inviting you all, too!" He gestured to his 'fans'. "Be sure to be there." He winked and disappeared using his magic.

I scoffed silently at his display and turned to the boy. "Hey, are you all right?" I asked him.

He looked at me with a hint of wariness in his eyes. "Yeah, I'm fine." He stood up from the ground.

A blue cat came hovering above him. "Where can we find him, Natsu?" it asked worriedly.

_A talking cat… right._

"Igneel must be here somewhere," the boy, Natsu, muttered, rubbing the back of his head. "Boy, I'm hungry. What about you, Happy?"

The cat, Happy, nodded.

I decided to intervene. "Hey…" I said hesitatingly. "I'd like to treat you guys. Is that all right?"

They both looked at me as if they were seeing me for the first time.

* * *

-;-

* * *

"YOU'RE SUCH A NICE person," Natsu commented as he scarfed down his food like he hadn't eaten for days.

"Yeah!" Happy agreed enthusiastically while eating in the same manner as Natsu.

I stared at them, thanking the heavens that I still had some money left to pay for their huge meal.

"So…" I initiated a conversation. "My name is Lucy. Do you know of any guilds here in Magnolia?" I didn't mention Fairy Tail to them since that guild was too flashy for me.

They seemed like they didn't hear me due to their incessant eating. I sweatdropped, wondering how much of an appetite the two of them had.

But then Natsu surprised me by saying, "You look like you're not some average person in Magnolia." He was gesturing at the dress I wore.

I was a bit taken aback by his remark. "Oh, uh… My okaa-san made this for me." I was shifting uncomfortable in my seat. "I'm kind of new to Magnolia, and since I'm probably going to run out of money in the next few weeks, I'll need to join a guild to do some jobs. I'm a mage."

"You seem like a quiet person, Lucy," Happy commented, pausing in wolfing down his fish.

I started to tell them that I wasn't a quiet person, but stopped. I didn't want to tell them my true personality in fear that they'd know who I was. So I kept my mouth shut and smiled.

"Yes, people tell me that sometimes," I said politely.

Natsu grinned at me, and I blinked in surprise.

"You have a nice smile," Natsu commented. "You should smile more often!"

Unknowingly, I blushed in embarrassment. "A-Arigatou…" I mumbled. Then, to change the subject, I asked, "So who are you two looking for?"

"We're looking for Igneel," Natsu replied while munching down on a chicken.

"Igneel? Who's that? Is he someone I know? A mage, perhaps?" I was going to try to help them find him, whoever he was.

Natsu and Happy paused in their eating to look at me.

"Igneel isn't a person," Natsu informed me. "Igneel's a dragon."

My jaw dropped in astonishment. _A-A dragon?_ "O-Oi! You'll never find something like that in a place like this!"

They stared at me for a long moment before the revelation began to sink in.

"Don't tell me you just realized it!"

After a few minutes, they finally finished their meal and thanked me so many times that I thought I had to shut them up using my magic. However, they were really nice people, and I was glad to have met them.

I walked around the park for a while, breathing in fresh air. Not too far away, I spotted a bench and sat on it while staring at the sky.

_Mama…_ I thought wistfully. _Are you up there? Are you watching me?_

But then my peaceful thoughts were interrupted when a voice said, "Miss?"

I turned my head to the source and Fake Salamander's face appeared right in front of me, startling me greatly.

"You again?" I said once I had caught my breath.

"It's because you interest me, ojou-san." He grinned, showing straight white teeth. "My name is Bora. Pleased to make your acquaintance."

I nodded warily. "And in what way exactly do I interest you, Bora-san?"

"Well, I was just wondering why such a beautiful lady like you who seem obviously rich is here in Hargeon."

"I'm looking for a guild," I said. "And I'm not rich. I'm just an average mage."

"Oh, so you're a mage, then?" Bora looked thoughtful for a moment. "Then perhaps if you come to the dinner party at my boat tonight, I shall send word to my guild, Fairy Tail, about you."

Well, unluckily for him, I'd already figured out that he was a fake. "Sorry, I'm afraid I cannot take you up on your offer," I said to him monotonously, watching his reaction with amusement.

"But Fairy Tail is the guild where any mage would want to join in!" Bora sounded astonished. "And I had a feeling that you are new to this mage business. Was I wrong?"

"Yes, I'm new." I let out a sigh. "But Fairy Tail seems too flashy for me, so I'm afraid I cannot say yes."

He stared at me incredulously for a moment. But after a moment, I saw a flash of recognition in his eyes, and I braced myself for what might happen.

"That way of speaking… That rare blonde hair… Those familiar brown eyes… That manner of elegance and poise… There's no doubt about it. You're Lucy Heartfilia, the famous daughter of Jude Heartfilia, one of the wealthiest men in Fiore!" Bora exclaimed.

I tried my best not to flinch. "Hey, not so loud!" I whispered to him, noticing some people staring at us.

"Then it's true?"

"No!" I hissed. Then, in decided resignation, I added, "Look, I'll go to your dinner party tonight. But you have to promise me _not_ to tell anyone!" I wasn't about to let otou-san know where I was.

He looked enthusiastic. "Of course, of course, Heartfilia-sama!"

I groaned mentally. What a day.

* * *

-;-

* * *

AFTER GETTING MY APARTMENT, a comfortable-looking two-story near the canal with a nice kitchen, a master bedroom, a guest room, a lavish bathroom, a large living room, and homey furnishing, I immediately splurged on new clothes, cosmetics, bath products, necessities, furniture, and groceries. By the time I reached my apartment, I was dragging a huge cart with all of the things I'd bought. It was really heavy, but I managed thanks to the training Mama had given me when she was… well, still in this world.

I hadn't finished placing my apartment in order until night fell. I looked at the clock. 6:30PM. The dinner party was going to be held at 8PM. I still had time.

I went inside the bathroom and had a refreshing cold shower. I had been sweating horribly while arranging the furniture. I really needed to work on my stamina.

After showering, I dried myself off and slipped into my signature dress. Then I wore a maroon gown and hid the straps of my black dress with a fur coat. I made sure not to forget my newly-bought whip, making it disappear into space with my magic and placing it into storage with my keys.

I was going to kick that Fake Salamander's ass to the next planet.

* * *

-;-

* * *

"YOU LOOK ABSOLUTELY SPECTACULAR, Heartfilia-sama." Bora held up his glass of champagne as a toast. "I expect nothing less from the heir of the Heartfilia Konzern."

I narrowed my eyes at him. "Now tell me what your purpose is," I said in a commanding tone.

"Oh, whatever made you say that, Heartfilia-sama?" His eyes held mischief.

"You cannot fool me. I know you're not a mage of Fairy Tail."

"Very perceptive of you."

Suddenly three men were holding her in place, and she could not move.

"I'm going to take you somewhere, Heartfilia-sama," Bora said cheerfully.

I paid no attention to him, concentrating on channeling my magic instead. Flames engulfed my body the next moment, and the goons who were holding me backed off in pain.

Unfortunately, I didn't know any offensive fire attacks, and this was the only fire casting spell I knew, and it was a defense-type.

I immediately got out an ivory key I got from my Mama's collection from the depths of space. "Open, Angel of Dawn, Tammy!"

A bright light engulfed the room, and a silhouette of a slender woman appeared. When it was all clear, Tammy could be seen; she was an angel with the customary halo above her head and a pair of bright wings protruding from her back. She had long, flowing blonde hair and the gentlest blue eyes I'd ever seen.

"Oh my, pleased to meet you, daughter of Layla," she said melodiously, looking happy to see me.

"I-I'm sorry for calling you out so suddenly without a contract between us," I stammered, feeling a bit foolish in summoning her.

Fortunately, Tammy was an angel; she was kind. "You don't have anything to be sorry about," she admonished gently. "Now, what do you want me to do, new Master?"

"Can you take care of these men?"

"Of course." Tammy turned to the goons.

They gulped.

"O, Light of Dawn, shine upon me and give me your strength," Tammy chanted, clasping her hands together.

Without warning, a ray of light shot through the roof, and in the blink of an eye, all of Bora's men were unconscious on the ground.

Bora was watching the scene, dumbstruck. "W-What kind of Celestial Mage are you?" he sputtered. "I've never seen a Spirit like this before! Y-Y-You can summon angels?"

"Of course I can." I lifted Tammy's ivory key in the air. "Tammy, you can go now. Thank you for your help."

"My pleasure, Master."

I smiled at her. "You can call me Lucy."

She had a knowing look on her face before disappearing into her world.

Before I could turn around to confront Bora again, the roof suddenly crashed, and I frantically waved my hand in a circular motion, channeling my magic power through my fingertips.

"Shield Magic: Defense!"

An invisible barrier enveloped me and protected me from the large chunks of wood that came falling down from above.

I blinked, and I saw a familiar head of pink hair.

"Natsu!" I said, bewildered. "W-What are you doing here?"

He had a serious, almost murderous look on his face. I backed away from him slightly, fear of what he might do starting to seep through my body.

"Natsu?" I whispered. "What's wrong?"

He didn't seem to hear me.

Fortunately Happy flew by my side. "Lucy?" he said in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

I was about to reply to his question when Natsu suddenly collapsed on the floor.

"Natsu!" I ran over to him.

Happy was calm. "Don't worry about him," he said. "He just has—"

"_Ooomph_…" Natsu's face was a dark-purple as he tried to cover his mouth.

"—motion sickness," Happy finished.

"Then what did you come here for?" I almost smacked him.

I heard a chuckle and lifted my head. Bora had a cunning look on his face as he scrutinized the three of us.

"You're the lad I met back then," he remarked. "What brings you here, huh?"

Natsu didn't—_couldn't_—reply.

Happy let out a sigh. "You're really hopeless, Natsu…"

I turned to Bora. "You said that you were giving a dinner party, right? Where are the girls you've invited?" I demanded.

He smirked. "They've been taken care of… Heartfilia-sama."

My heart jumped in my chest.

Happy looked confused. "Heartfilia… sama…?"

"You jerk," I spat. "You told me you wouldn't tell anyone."

He had the audacity to look smug. "Well, promises are made to be broken."

I forced myself to stay calm. "And just _what_ are you going to the girls you've _taken care_ of?"

"I'll be taking them somewhere, of course," he said nonchalantly.

Happy looked horrified. "You're going to sell them?"

Bora flushed. "N—"

I didn't wait for him to finish. I conjured up a gold key and lifted it up.

"Open, Gate of the Water Bearer, Aquarius!"

"Whoa, wait." Bora looked shocked. "For all I know, that Spirit should be summoned in wat—" He was cut off when a soft, golden light enveloped the gold key in my hand and a magic circle appeared.

Aquarius appeared; she was a woman with long light-blue hair, dark-blue eyes, a long blue fish-tail, and a bikini top. She had two gold armlets and wore a jewel circlet. She wielded her signature urn, and she had an annoyed expression on her face.

"Aquarius, can you make the waves wash this boat ashore?" I asked her quietly.

Somewhat surprised by the aura I was giving off, she obeyed, but not before saying, "I'm going on a date with my boyfriend after this. Don't bother me." She smirked. "Got it? My _boyfriend_."

My left eyebrow twitched in annoyance. "I know, I know!" I grumbled.

Aquarius sailed out the window, and not long after, I was thrown sidewards, and water splashed inside the boat, interrupting my breathing.

"Lucy!" Happy exclaimed.

Natsu made a gurgling sound.

"Natsu!" Happy looked torn between the two of us.

"Happy! Go save Natsu!" I ordered, managing to go up to the surface. Seeing the hesitant look in his eyes, I gave him a wink. "Don't worry, I can take care of myself."

"Okay!" He activated his wings and hauled Natsu to the surface.

I closed my eyes and concentrated on disturbing the water molecules around me using my magic. Little by little, they began to back off, and when I opened my eyes, I'd managed to clear the water around me in a circular shape.

Mama's journal sure came in handy.

Bora gaped at me. "_What are you_?" he sputtered.

I grinned at him. "I thought you already knew."

Not long after, I was pushed to the side, and when the impact hit me with such a force, I knew that the boat had already been washed ashore.

"Arigatou, Aquarius," I whispered.

_Now I'm going to take care of this man and turn him over to the authorities._

But just as I turned towards Bora's direction, I saw Natsu being plopped down to the ground by Happy. He stood up, and a dark look came upon his face.

I shivered slightly.

"You…" Natsu said quietly. "You say that you're from Fairy Tail, right?"

Bora let out a nervous chuckle. "O-Of course! I'm Fairy Tail's Salaman—"

He didn't get to finish his sentence when he saw Natsu igniting his hands into flames.

I was staring at the scene in shock. "Wait, _what_? Natsu's a mage, too?"

Happy nodded. "You just knew this, Lucy?"

"Oh yeah? Well, too bad for you, because _I'm _from Fairy Tail, and I've _never_ seen _you_ before!" Natsu roared.

"EH?" To say that I was shocked would be an understatement.

* * *

-;-

* * *

I WAS STILL IN a trancelike state even after Natsu had beaten Bora up, and Happy had to yell my name for about six times before I'd realized that he was calling me. Basically, because of the fight, Natsu had promptly broken down a few private properties, and apparently, some military soldiers were after us. I was still so dazed that I hadn't even realized that Natsu had grabbed my hand and that we were running for our lives.

"Hey," Natsu called out to me.

I looked at him inquisitively, but my mind was still wandering to the fact that I had met a Fairy Tail wizard and had gotten myself in trouble just because of mentioned person. "Yeah?"

"I saw that."

"Huh?"

"I saw your magic," he explained. "It was pretty neat."

"I thought you were motion-sick."

"That doesn't mean that I wasn't conscious."

"…" I turned away from him. I hadn't wanted anyone to see my magic, but I used it anyway because I felt that it was necessary. If they found out who—or rather, _what_—I really was, then I was going to be d—

"Come with me!" he said suddenly.

"Huh?" I stared at him.

"Wanna join my guild?" he offered, giving me the brightest grin I'd ever seen.

"What?" I said, incredulous.

"You heard me."

I didn't know why I'd let myself get dragged towards Fairy Tail by someone I'd recently met, but what I did know was that the moment I saw his guileless face and his disarming smile, I knew that I had made my decision.

* * *

**END **_of _**EPISODE 1**

_Next time:_ _Episode 2—Midnight Sun_

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**A/N:** I know that the details aren't flawless and that Lucy just seems so… _perfect_, but that will be fixed in the later chapters. Also, as to why Lucy has a kind of different attitude compared to the one she has in canon, I just slanted it a bit, but I assure you, parts of her normal self will come out sooner or later. Btw, about why Bora had given Lucy his name, it was because he felt a sort of compelling urge to tell her in exchange for knowing her own identity. Kind of complicated and confusing, right? I'm sorry about that.

**NOTE:** Since I am the author and I can modify some scenes or the plot itself to make the story more interesting, then I assume that there will be no trouble for me to alter the arcs given in the anime (I'm not basing the Fairy Tail plot here in the manga, but in the anime). I'm sure that some of you will notice that I am trying to create a perfect Fairy Tail universe with happy endings and such, but no, that is not my aim. There will be character deaths, there will be angst, there will be tragedies befalling the protagonists, there will be limits, there will be conditions, there will be imperfections, and there will come a time when all of them will lose hope. I believe in balance. Where there is good, there is bad. Therefore, where there are happy moments, there are sad moments. Where there is light, there is dark. And where there is a life saved, there is a life lost.


	2. Episode 2: Midnight Sun

-;-

* * *

**FT: The Mistress of the Universe**

by Her Pretty Smile

* * *

**A/N:** All optical phenomenon described and explained here in this story were researched by me and if there are any flaws or errors made, then perhaps my references were not that trustworthy.

**WARNING:** This is unbeta-ed. There may be errors evident.

**DISCLAIMER:** Fairy Tail solely belongs to Hiro Mashima. I, an amateur writer, am only borrowing his characters and a part of his storyline.

* * *

**Episode 2**: _Midnight Sun_

* * *

_Meanwhile, in Era…_

* * *

"FAIRY TAIL IS GETTING rowdier and rowdier each day."

"They just don't know when to stop, do they?"

"They just recklessly destroy everything they see!"

"Especially that Salamander!"

While the other Council members were in a heated discussion, a nineteen-year-old young man with slightly messy blue hair, soft brown eyes, and a distinctive red tattoo under and above his right eye let out a sigh.

"Seriously… When you think about it, Fairy Tail isn't really _that_ bad…" he muttered under his breath.

A woman about the same age as him with dark purple hair and brown eyes smiled tirelessly. "They're just having a hard time with the paperwork all piled up for the reconstruction of the destroyed buildings. Don't mind them too much."

He looked at her in mild surprise. "Ah, Ultear-san. I apologize. I didn't know I was being audible."

She let out a chuckle. "No worries, Jellal-san. I just have sensitive ears, that's all."

He relaxed considerably. "Someone I know a long time ago is in that guild, so I think I'm being a bit biased, but…"

"You don't have to explain anything to me, Jellal-san." Her smile was warm. "Because I think I'm a bit biased myself."

"You have someone you know there, too?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact." She had a faraway look on her face. "He's like a brother to me."

He smiled. "Looks like we have something in common, then."

* * *

-;-

* * *

NATSU KICKED THE DOOR to the guild open so hard that it almost broke out of its hinges, much to my horror.

"I'm back!" he roared.

Some mages smiled while some mages greeted back heartily.

"Ah, Natsu, welcome back!"

"How was it?"

"Did you find what you were looking for?"

Natsu ignored them and went towards his fellow mage. They had a seemingly heated argument, and the next thing I knew, they were fighting it out on the floor.

I sighed. _How did I end up coming here again?_

"My, my, a newcomer?" a sweet voice inquired.

I turned to the source and found myself face-to-face with a pretty woman with long, white hair which curled slightly at the ends, with two bangs framing her face and reaching down to her chest; her hairstyle's most distinctive trait was a short, upward ponytail obtained by gathering and tying the hair covering her forehead. She had large blue eyes and a curvy, voluptuous body.

I managed to restrain myself from gasping. It was _the_ Mirajane, the one who was widely known for her beauty because of her being Fairy Tail's drawing card and having posed many times for the Weekly Sorcerer Magazine.

I gave her a friendly smile. "Pleased to meet you, Mirajane-san," I said politely, bowing in a manner of respect.

Those lessons on manners really rubbed off on me.

She seemed mildly surprised by my respectfulness but bowed in return, giving me her own kind smile. "Pleased to meet you too, um…"

"Lucy. Just Lucy."

"Oh, I see. Okay then, Lucy." She added sunnily, "You're a really beautiful girl."

"Not as beautiful as you, Mirajane-san," I said humbly.

I was shocked when she suddenly had hearts in her eyes. "Aaw, you're so _kawaii_!"

At that moment, some of the people in the guild looked our way, and frankly, I wasn't surprised to see that they were gaping.

"Mira-chan, who's that beauty?" A man sitting at a table asked.

A smile graced the model's lips. "A newcomer. Her name is Lucy."

"Is she going to be joining the guild?"

Mirajane turned to me expectantly. _Great, now what? First it was Natsu, and now it's Mira-san?_

But at that moment I knew that I was defeated. "Yes," I said, hoping that the disappointment in my tone didn't show.

"Great!" Mira led me to the counter. "Where would you like the mark to be stamped?"

"Um, is this it?" I asked confusedly. "Are there no trials or something like that first before I get to become a full-fledged member?"

"Oh, no, no, nothing of the sort," Mira said. "There's one thing I have to say, though. You'd better be ready."

I did not like the sound of that. "Okay…" I did not bother to conceal my uncertainty.

"So, where do you want it?"

I thought for a moment. "On my right hand, please."

"What colour would you like?"

An unbidden image of Natsu came to mind, and I replied absently, "Pink."

Just because it reminded me of his hair.

Unbeknownst to me, Mira had given me a knowing look and stamped the Fairy Tail mark on my right hand. A jolt of magic power surged through my veins, but it wasn't very sudden that I had to move even the slightest bit from my position.

The mark was familiarizing me, I knew. And the magic… it felt so warm.

_Maybe being a Fairy Tail wizard isn't so bad…_

And the next thing I knew, I was hit by a freaking _table_.

My left eyebrow twitched uncontrollably. _I take back my words._

* * *

-;-

* * *

AFTER THE CHAOS HAD descended, I ordered an orange juice, feeling a bit thirsty from the heat. After Mira placed it in front of me on the counter, I took it and thanked her, sipping the sweetness of the drink.

As I was about to finish it in one gulp, Natsu suddenly whisked past me with a crazed look in his eyes.

"Natsu?" I inquired, setting the glass down on the counter. "What's wrong? Where are you going?"

To my astonishment and mild annoyance, he just went off like he hadn't heard me at all.

Mira appeared in front of me, wiping a glass. "I think you'd better go with him, Lucy."

"Eh? Why?" I asked, puzzled.

"Natsu's found another job that's associated with a dragon," she replied with a look of concern on her face. "I'm worried that Natsu might get disappointed again, you know?"

"I see." I got her point. I stood up from the stool, straightening my dress. "I'll try to be there for him then, Mira-san."

"Arigatou, Lucy." She gave me a grateful smile. "I know that Happy's with him, but I'm sure that it'll make Natsu grow more at ease if he has another friend by his side."

I gave a wry smile. "Friend, huh…"

_I don't know if he even considers me as that. We just met after all._

I went out the guild doors, not knowing that something big would happen to me soon.

* * *

-;-

* * *

"NATSU!" I SHOUTED, RUNNING as fast as my legs could carry me.

By the time I reached him and Happy, I was panting heavily, inwardly cursing my enormous lack of stamina.

_I've got to work on that once I get back…_ I thought to myself.

"Luigi? What're you doing here?" Natsu asked flatly.

"Yeah, Lucy!" Happy piped up.

"It's LUCY, not LUIGI!" I let out a deep sigh. "Anyway, I want to come with you."

Natsu looked at me for a moment before turning away. "You don't need to come."

_How rude!_ "Well, I'll still come whether you like it or not!" I said, my stubborn streak showing through.

He stopped in his tracks for a moment, then inclined his head towards me slightly, an amused smile playing on his lips.

"You're weird," he said in a tone that I couldn't comprehend. "Well, whatever. Do what you want."

I was a bit stunned for a moment, but shrugged it off, deeming it insignificant. "Where are we going?" I asked, falling into a step beside him.

"Silica," he replied briefly, handing me the job flyer.

I took it from him and scanned the contents. "So, to summarize, we're going to guard a town when it's exactly an hour before midnight because it's only at that time that the dragon appears?"

"Yeah." He had a somewhat hopeful look on his face. "Maybe it's Igneel."

"What if it's not Igneel, Natsu?" Happy asked.

"Then I'll ask it where Igneel is."

"It says here that we just have to guard the town when it's _midnight_," I pointed out, changing the subject. "It's early noon. Why are we going at this time?"

"Silica's a really, really far walk from Magnolia," Natsu replied.

"Walk? But we can get there faster on train—" My voice cut off.

"Natsu has motion sickness, remember?" Happy reminded me.

"Just thinking about riding a train makes me sick…" Natsu's face turned a light shade of purple.

I was silent as they had a sudden conversation about food preferences (Happy wanted raw fish; Natsu wanted it cooked). I stared up at the sky, noting the way the clouds moved and the way the sun shone.

Mama had written in her journal that she could control everything, including the phenomenon. I wondered if I could be able to do that someday.

But then the instructions, the training guides, the magic tricks, the spells… Mama had written them all meticulously in detail in her thickest journals. They were all in the attic of our house; she had about hundreds of them, she mentioned.

Oh boy. It'd take me a million years to finish reading and practicing all those techniques.

_Well, not that time is a problem, anyway. I'm immortal_, I thought blandly.

_But living forever… It will only bring sadness, pain, and loneliness._

_This power… it's a curse._

* * *

-;-

* * *

THE WALK TO SILICA was extremely exhausting, but I managed to occupy my mind for a little while by thinking how Mama could bear to write so many journals.

_Well, maybe when she was bedridden, she had nothing to do, so she wrote and wrote…_ I explored my memories a bit further. _Her very first entry had been, she mentioned, 500 years ago. That means… Oh my gosh, Mama was over 500 years old!_

A sudden image of Mama's supposedly very wrinkled, old face came into mind and I chortled; I couldn't imagine Mama being _that_ old.

But my laughter was cut short when Natsu remarked, "I never knew you're _this _crazy, Luigi."

"For the last time, it's LUCY! And I'm _not_ crazy!"

I was taken aback when he suddenly grinned in response.

"What…? What are you grinning at?" I asked cautiously.

"You're becoming talkative lately," he replied.

I could feel heat creeping through my cheeks. "W-What are you talking about?" I stammered.

Natsu placed his hands behind his head, his boyish grin still in place. "I knew that you weren't some kind of boring, respectful girl the first time I met you. And I was right; you're a loud one."

"And what is that supposed to mean?!" I resisted the urge to smack him.

"Nothing… Just that you're weird sometimes."

"Say that again!" I threatened.

"Want some fish, Lucy?" Happy offered.

"I'm not a freaking _cat_!"

* * *

-;-

* * *

A TOWN APPEARED ON sight and we ran towards it, hoping to stay at an inn to rest and eat for a while before continuing on to Silica. The latter was still four hours away; if we had gotten on train, we'd already be there whereas walking there would take a full six hours.

Had I known that Silica was _this_ far from Magnolia, I would've had second thoughts about going with Natsu.

"Remember, only a 4 or 5-hour nap," I reminded them, going inside an inn and successfully checking in on a room.

"Hai, hai…" Natsu and Happy chorused, looking extremely tired.

My legs were burning with fatigue, too, and we were a bit food-deprived because we hadn't packed some food for travel.

_I'll wake up after three hours and buy some food_, I thought determinedly.

"I get dibs on the bed!" Natsu announced energetically, plopping down on said object and hugging the pillows. Happy followed, curling up into a ball above Natsu's head.

My eye twitched dangerously. _NOT a gentleman. At. All._

Sighing, I sat down on the floor, feeling its hard, cold marbled texture. _Might as well sleep here then…_

"Oi, Luigi, why are you not going to sleep?" Natsu's voice snapped me out of my thoughts.

"It's LUCY, you _baka_! And of course I'm going to sleep. What do you think I'm doing here, meditating?" I said irritably.

"You're gonna sleep on the floor?" He raised an eyebrow as he stared at me, ignoring my sarcastic remark.

"Of course," I said exasperatedly. "Where else would I sleep?"

"There's still some space here."

My eyes widened. "On the bed?"

He rolled his eyes. "Are you stupid? Of course on the bed."

"Don't call me stupid!" The blood was rushing to my face. "You just said it yourself that you get dibs on it."

"But I didn't mean that you couldn't sleep here," he said, subtly implying that I was an idiot for not analyzing his exclamation earlier.

"But… But…" I said, flustered. "We can't just sleep in the same bed!"

"Why not?"

_He doesn't have an ounce of decency!_ "Natsu, people sleep in the same bed if they're a… a couple… or something." I was stammering too much, to my chagrin.

"Eh? But Mira and Elfman do it all the time."

"It's because they're siblings!"

"Well, then I'll be your brother from now on!" He flashed me a goofy grin.

I resisted the urge to face-palm. "Natsu, that isn't how it works. I—" I was cut off when he got off the bed and walked over to me.

"What… What are you doing?" I asked, unconsciously blushing.

He grabbed my hand. "C'mon, it's uncomfortable sleeping on the floor. And you don't have a _futon_, so how are you going to sleep?"

_He… has a point_. "But…" I protested weakly.

"There's nothing wrong with sleeping in the same bed," he remarked, looking exasperated. "It's not like I'm gonna hog your space anyway."

He led me to the right side of the bed, and when I lay down on the soft, white mattress, he went over to his side and plopped down unceremoniously.

A strong smell wafted through my nostrils when we were so close to each other… The smell of spices and pepper.

_He smells good_… I thought absentmindedly. _And I feel so warm…_

"You smell like vanilla," he said suddenly.

The blood came rushing to my face again. "W-What?"

"Nothing." He turned over, and I found myself turning away from him as well, but in my case it was because of sheer embarrassment.

After a few moments of silence, I asked quietly, "Do you need the blanket?"

"Nope." His voice was a whisper.

"I don't, too." Gently, I placed the blanket between us with an addition of two pillows.

"Good night, Natsu," I mumbled softly before drifting off to sleep.

* * *

-;-

* * *

I WOKE UP EXACTLY three hours later, feeling a bit refreshed… and warm.

I hugged the pillow I was holding onto, smelling its nice scent of pepper and spices…

_Wait… Wait just a second. Pepper and spices?_

I opened my eyes and saw Natsu snoring away, my head tucked into his… his chest. I was holding him to me while his right hand was hugging my neck and his left hand was circling around my waist.

_What the…_

"Mmmm… Pillow…" he mumbled in his sleep.

_I… I'm… a pillow…?_

_WHAT THE HECK?! What am I doing? I have to get out of his hold or else we won't have any food!_

I sighed inwardly_. But I don't really want to wake him…_

_Wait… I know!_

Concentrating hard, I focused my magic power into my whole body and willed it to become mist. After a few tries, I successfully managed to escape his hold without waking him up the tiniest bit.

_Nice!_ I cheered mentally. _I could get used to this magic after all._

* * *

-;-

* * *

I GOT BACK AFTER an hour, carrying two heavy plastic bags. I'd bought some raw fish for Happy, some matches just in case, a handful of fruits, some raw meat (Natsu could cook it with his flames anyway), and junk food (oh boy, something we all know and love).

When I opened the door to our room, I was shocked to see Natsu up and about (Happy was still sleeping away). Placing the bags on the ground and closing the door, I approached him cautiously.

"Why are you up?" I asked curiously. "You should've gotten some more sleep. We have a long road ahead of us."

"Couldn't sleep," was his reply.

When I looked at him strangely, he added, "I'm just piped up to meet this dragon."

"Oh." That answer was all I needed from him.

"So, what you got there?" He pointed at the bags.

"Food," I replied simply, going over to my bag and zipping it open.

"Great! What did you buy?" His eyes were practically shining in delight.

I told him while placing some of the food inside my bag.

"Happy'll be so delighted!" Natsu exclaimed. "You really are a nice person, Luigi!"

"It's LUCY, you moron! How many times do I have to tell you?!"

"Ahahaha! Wari, wari," he apologized cheerfully.

Hearing his jovial laughter made me smile, so I let the matter drop easily.

After all, I'd already gotten used to it.

* * *

-;-

* * *

WHEN WE FINALLY ARRIVED at Silica, it was ten minutes before 11PM. We met with the client and he told us about the dreadfully powerful dragon that breathed golden flames all over the town. The houses were already charred and a handful looked like they were demolished entirely, but there were still ones that remained intact, though it wasn't sure if they could hold on for another night attack.

"What does the dragon look like?" Natsu demanded.

"It's large, naturally, with golden scales and golden wings. It seems to have an impression of a ghost, seeing as whenever midnight comes, it just fades away, leaving bright yellow sparkles in its wake."

Natsu leaned back on the couch, looking grim and disappointed. "It isn't Igneel," he muttered.

"Cheer up, Natsu," Happy consoled him, looking a bit depressed himself.

"The description sounds vaguely familiar," I wondered aloud.

The client looked at me. "What magic do you use?" he asked suddenly.

I was a bit taken aback by his question, but I replied nonetheless. "Celestial Spirit magic," I half-lied.

He seemed to be satisfied by my answer and turned to Natsu. "What about you?"

"I'm a fire Dragon Slayer," Natsu replied with a grin, which I hadn't expected because he had been in a disappointed mood earlier.

_Honestly…_ I thought affectionately, looking at him with a smile. _I should've expected that from him._

"A Celestial Spirit mage and a Dragon Slayer. Interesting combination…"

While the client was off to his own little world, Happy turned to us with an inquisitive look on his face.

"Is it midnight now?" he asked.

The client suddenly stood up from his chair, apparently having gone back to reality. "Yes. It's time. Be ready, Fairy Tail wizards."

* * *

-;-

* * *

AS SOON AS WE got out of the house, a roar resounded around town followed by a sudden gust of wind. From the information we'd gathered, I assumed that this dragon had the same properties Natsu's dragon had, and that was _fire_. Only, I wasn't sure if the flames it emitted would be extinguished so easily by water, so I was a bit stuck on my strategy.

Another roar echoed across the land, and I had no choice but to try. Taking out a gold key from space, I chanted, "Open, Gate of the Water Bearer, Aquarius!"

Natsu was looking around in mild frenzy. "Where are you? Come on out!" he shouted, willing the dragon to come to him.

"Natsu!" I cried as I saw golden flames coming right at him.

Aquarius dutifully splashed them with a huge wave of water from her vase, and thus they were extinguished.

My jaw dropped open. _That _easily?

Aquarius noticed the look on my face and let out an exasperated sigh. "Oi, brat, I know what you're thinking, but it's quite different, actually. Plain water cannot extinguish those flames, but special water, especially from my vase, can."

I nodded in understanding. "Oh, I see. Arigatou, Aquarius!"

"Hmph." She gave me a cocky smile. "I see you still haven't gotten a boyfriend."

My face turned tomato-red.

At that moment, the dreaded dragon appeared in the sky, its golden wings flapping and its mouth breathing golden flames. The description the client had given us exactly fit.

Natsu was staring at it in wonder before bombarding it with questions about Igneel. To his dismay, all of them went unanswered.

However, it puzzled me slightly when the dragon's eyes stayed on me for a full six seconds. I felt a queer magical power from it, and it seemed familiar, but I couldn't quite put my finger into it.

Then Aquarius got a good look at it and her expression was that of surprise. "_Draco_?" she said, bewildered.

I turned to her. "Aquarius?" I inquired, waiting for her to explain.

But the mermaid spirit ignored me. "Draco! Have you gone amuck again? Go back to your key!" she reprimanded harshly.

At those words, the revelation came to me and I looked up at Draco, who had an unreadable look on his face.

Now I knew why this dragon sounded familiar. Mama mentioned something about it in her journal. It was a Spirit, apparently one of the three powerful red keys that she hadn't obtained because she couldn't seem to find it.

Natsu stepped beside me, obviously confused. "What's your Spirit talking about?" he asked me.

"Natsu, didn't you get it?" Happy said. "The dragon is a Spirit."

"NANI?"

I stared at Aquarius incredulously. "Spirits can get out of their keys freely?" I asked her in surprise.

She turned to me with a scowl on her face. "Of course they can. But only if they are desperate to find an owner."

"Find… an owner…" I turned to Draco, my eyes shining with understanding. "I see. So that's why you've been destroying this town. You want a Celestial Spirit mage to notice you and become your owner."

Draco did not speak, but I knew that he was listening to every word I said.

"I will become your owner," I offered. "Provided that you make it up to the townspeople of Silica. Do we have a deal?"

The golden dragon surprisingly nodded. It really did understand me.

"All right. So where is your key?"

* * *

-;-

* * *

"OPEN, GATE OF THE Restorer, Pictor!"

Almost instantly, a Spirit looking like a halo appeared. "Yes, Master?"

"I told you not to call me that," I said sternly yet playfully. "Anyway, can you restore this town back to the way it was?"

"Of course, Lucy-sama."

Pictor glowed even brighter than it was, and after a flash of light blinded our eyes for a brief moment, we saw the town of Silica back to its former glory, houses and buildings and all.

"Whoaaa, amazing!" Natsu said in wonder.

"It's like it had never been touched at all!" Happy quipped.

I felt proud of my Spirit. "Arigatou, Pictor. You can go now."

After my Spirit went back to its world, Natsu turned to me, his eyes clouding in mild disappointment.

"You know, that dragon never spoke to me," he said, sulking.

"Well, it's one of the red keys," I explained. "The three red keys, namely Draco, Hydra, and Phoenix… They don't speak much unless necessary, like, only if it's a life-and-death situation."

His face fell at my statement.

"Don't be so blue," I consoled him. "I think Draco doesn't know Igneel, because if he does, he would've said it to you."

"How would you say that…?"

I smiled at him. "I just know."

He let out a sigh. "Well, since it's all over now, we should go get our reward from the client."

"Natsu's upset because he didn't get to do much action," Happy said, stifling his laughter.

"Shut up, Happy!"

I giggled.

* * *

-;-

* * *

AFTER WE GOT THE reward money, we got out of the client's house and stared up at the night sky. Then, to our surprise, a bright yellowish light began to appear in the center, and when it faded slightly, we found ourselves looking at the sun.

"What the…?" Natsu said, bewildered. "It's morning already? It hasn't even been thirty minutes!"

A warm smile graced my lips as I stared at the amazing optical phenomenon in front of me. "No… It's the midnight sun. It's a very rare sight. I… I can't believe that I'm seeing this now."

Silence greeted my explanation, and I turned to my companions, curious as to why they hadn't reacted.

To my surprise, they were staring at the beautiful midnight sun with wonder in their eyes. Obviously, they hadn't seen it before. I had once, when Mama comforted me when I was sad, and to make me smile, she made the sun come out at midnight, and I was overjoyed by the wonderful sight.

_Mama… I miss you so much…_

* * *

-;-

* * *

WE RETURNED BACK TO the guild the next morning with Natsu as loud and boisterous as ever. I got the feeling that he wasn't a bit like himself with the Draco incident, mainly because I thought that seeing a dragon again made his serious side overwhelm his cheerful one. But even after this, I knew that Natsu wouldn't give up on finding Igneel yet, because I knew that the dragon was very precious to him. I didn't know what their relationship with each other was yet, but in the back of my mind, I was entertaining myself with the thought that maybe they were brothers of some sort (Natsu is a Dragon Slayer, after all… but wait, it doesn't make any sense). But then I knew that the most plausible explanation was that maybe Igneel was his father, and maybe he was also the one who taught Natsu dragon slaying magic. It was entirely possible.

The two of us were currently friends, but we still weren't close enough to know each other very well.

Little did I know that that was about to change.

* * *

**END** _of_ **EPISODE 2**

_Next time: Episode 3—Skyglow_

* * *

**A/N:** This was a lame, dull chapter. I know. It 's also a bit rushed. *sigh* I promise to make the next chapter exciting as this one, because I don't really feel like this was up to par. Thank you for your reviews, faves, and follows, though. They make me think that it's definitely worth it to publish this story.


	3. Episode 3: Skyglow

**FT: The Mistress of the Universe**

by Her Pretty Smile

* * *

**Warning**: This is unbeta-ed. There may be errors evident. You have been warned.

**Disclaimer**: I do not own the popular manga series Fairy Tail. I couldn't possibly be able to create something _that_ popular and amazing. I am merely a writer, an amateur one at that, who only wishes to share some stories related to this wonderful series even if it is not as perfect as Hiro Mashima's famous work.

* * *

**Episode 3**: _Skyglow_

* * *

I WAS COMPLETELY SATISFIED by my apartment.

It had everything I needed; the water and the electricity were working just fine, the commodities were refreshing, and the house itself was nicely-built, giving it a cozy touch.

I looked at my reflection in the mirror and saw a girl with long blonde hair down to her elbows, large eyes that seemed to be lost between the colours brown and grey, feminine, refined features, and… a dull expression.

_Seriously, I have to practice loosening up a little…_

I walked out of the bathroom, humming Mama's favourite melody with only a towel wrapped around my body.

"Yo, Luigi!" an overly familiar, cheerful voice greeted.

"Natsu, it's _Lucy_, not Luigi," another familiar, slightly exasperated voice cut in.

A vein instantly throbbed on my temple. "How the hell did you guys manage to come inside?" I asked in a calm, angry voice.

"We're just visiting," Natsu remarked casually. "Oh, and we went through the window. It's easy to come inside here, you know."

I sweatdropped at their, uh, _technique_ of going inside somebody's house. "This is an invasion of my privacy, you know," I muttered. "We've hardly known each other yet and now you're barging into my apartment without my permission."

"But we're friends now, aren't we?" Natsu countered calmly, biting into one of the delicious red apples I'd plastered on the coffee table.

"Lucy, you're so weird," Happy remarked casually, munching on a raw fish.

My right eyebrow was twitching uncontrollably as I tried very hard to restrain myself from committing bloody murder. "Okay, so what did you two come here for?" I asked as calmly as I could.

Natsu excitedly held up a piece of paper. "Let's form a team, Luigi!" he exclaimed.

I twitched. "For the last time, it's LUCY. And what? A team?"

"Aye!" Happy said.

"We want you to be on our team!" Natsu grinned at me boyishly, and at that gesture, I could feel heat creeping through my face, much to my chagrin.

Then Natsu leaned towards me, looking intrigued. "Oi, oi, how many keys do you have?" he asked eagerly.

A bit surprised by his unexpected question, I thought for a moment before taking out all my keys from space and showing all 21 of them to him.

"I have 2 ruby keys, 3 ivory keys, 5 gold keys, and 11 silver keys," I told him.

"Whoa, that's a lot!" he exclaimed. "You must be some kind of super mage or something, huh?"

"_Iie_," I disagreed, shaking my head with a sad smile on my face. "I got these keys from my mother."

"Oh." Natsu grinned even more. "Your mother must've been crazy strong, then!"

As I looked at him in surprise, a red shade tinted my cheeks, but I didn't care.

"A-Anyway," I said, changing the subject, "why do you want me on your team? I thought… I thought you dislike me or something."

"Huh?" Natsu's face scrunched up in confusion. "Dislike you? Why would I?"

"Well, I thought I annoyed you…"

"You wouldn't annoy me." He grinned again, but this time, it sent my heart aflutter. "You're a nice person. I've known this since the first time we met."

I was too shocked to reply to his words.

"And… I'm sorry for always not getting your name right," he apologized awkwardly, rubbing the back of his head.

A soft smile played on my lips. "That's all right…"

"Oh, and Lucy?" Happy said.

"Yeah?"

"You're still wearing a towel."

"…AAAAAGH!"

* * *

-;-

* * *

"SO, WHAT'S THE JOB all about?" I asked conversationally, placing my hands behind my back.

"Something about stealing a priceless artifact from a rich guy," Natsu replied.

"…That sounds a bit dangerous…" I scanned the contents of the job flyer. "So, it says here that it's recommended for a teenage girl to distract the aristocrat while someone sneaks around his mansion to steal the artifact. The girl, preferably, has to be blonde…" My voice trailed off.

A dark cloud loomed over my head the instant I realized that I was tricked.

Natsu and Happy were snickering to themselves in the background.

…_I hate my life._

* * *

-;-

* * *

I WAS STILL WEARING a pokerface when we arrived at our destination. It was a huge mansion with guards stationed at the front door. There was a wide garden at the right and a park at the left.

_Luxurious_, I thought.

"Ne, Lucy, are you still mad?" Happy spoke up, noticing the expression on my face.

I turned to look at him. "Well…" I said slowly, suddenly feeling foolish and immature. "Just a little bit."

"That's good, then, because you look ugly when you make that kind of face, Lucy!"

A vein instantly throbbed on my temple. A dark, menacing aura radiated from me as I spoke in a threatening tone, "Oi, oi, listen here, little kitty-cat. I am NOT ugly!"

Happy placed his hands on his mouth, trying to stifle his snicker. "Whoa, Natsu, so this is what they call a human ego," he stage-whispered.

"OI!"

* * *

-;-

* * *

AFTER SUCCESSFULLY GETTING INSIDE the mansion using the window below the roof, I stealthily disguised myself as a dark-haired woman with grey eyes and mature features. I achieved these with the help of a wig, contact lens, and heavy makeup. I also managed to hide my Fairy Tail mark by wearing gloves. I wanted to make sure that the guy wouldn't recognize me or else I'd be doomed, because otou-san had introduced him to me once for marriage concerns.

No wonder the name Ken on the flyer sounded familiar.

When I'd successfully gotten inside his room by telling the guard stationed outside the door that I was a visitor, I sat on the floor, waiting patiently for Ken to finish his… business.

He had noticed me when I walked in, but he was too busy with his, uh, girlfriend, I think.

"Ken-sama…" the girl purred disgustingly, tracing circles on his chest, making me want to puke right then and there. "I'm tired. I think it's time for me to go home."

"Already?" The man grinned, showing even white teeth.

Grudgingly, I had to admit that the first time I saw him, I thought that he looked very attractive, but now, even if he still was, it didn't help chase away the dirty image I's conjured of him here inside my mind.

"Well, of course, my lady," he said in a sickeningly charming voice. "I trust that you will come back tomorrow night for another nightcap?"

"Of course, Ken-sama," she promised.

When she left the room, Ken's handsome blue eyes travelled over to me, probing and inquisitive. "And who might you be?" he asked with a strange glint in his eyes.

I swallowed. It was time. "My name is Layla. Though I would prefer not to mention my last name, Ken-dono."

He smiled. "I've met you before, haven't I?"

I froze. "N-No," I stammered, and I inwardly cursed myself. "You must be mistaken, Ken-dono. We just met today."

"Oh?" He looked confused. "I could've sworn that I had met you before… Where was it…?"

I struggled to keep myself calm. "…Anyway, Ken-dono, I think that the image you've shown to the people recently is very… um, admirable."

"Really?" he said, and his eyes lit up. "I've worked hard to make myself helpful to the people in our society. Because we are all fellowmen, we should all care and love for each other…" And he rambled on and on.

_Honestly… I never knew that he was also boring…_

Time passed he was still talking nonstop. In boredom, I attempted to lift my hands to rub my temples.

But they didn't lift.

My eyes widened.

I tried again.

My hands didn't move.

I tried to stand up, I tried to flail my arms, _anything_, but I couldn't.

_W-What's happening…?_

"Can't move, Lucy-chan?"

I was in turmoil. "W-What have you done to me? You… you…"

Then my eyes widened into saucers. _No... It couldn't be… I was figured out already?_

"From the moment you came into the room, I'd already recognized you," he said smugly, much to my horror. "Those features… even if they're temporarily destroyed by the excessive makeup, I know them well. And that amazing body…" He leered at me, and he was starting to inch closer to me. "I've memorized it. Everything. Absolutely everything about you."

_Crazy, obsessed freak_. "Get away from me," I spat. "I'm not rich anymore. I ran away from home."

"I know," he said. "But I don't care about that." A devilish grin appeared on his face and I inwardly flinched. "I only want you and your _body_."

"You _pervert_," I said in pure disgust.

"So, you're probably wondering why you can't move. Well, believe it or not, I'm a mage."

My eyes widened in shock.

"And I can't figure out why you'd come here when my name and pictures are all over the mansion. Why, Lucy-chan? Have you run out of money and are desperate to make some?"

I refused to answer him. _Good. He doesn't know that I'm a mage, too_, I thought, satisfied.

"C'mon, Lucy-chan. You can tell me why. If you do, then I'll consider letting you go free of the invisible binds."

No way was I going to be fooled by his words. I wasn't stupid.

He sighed, seemingly giving up on his persuasion. "Well. If you don't want to talk about it, then I won't force you."

_What the heck?_ I stared at him warily. _He's being nice now?_

"Hey, you've never seen magic, haven't you?" A smirk graced his features. "Of course you haven't. Seventeen years of being in that huge mansion and only four days in the outside world…"

I was instantly revolted when he suddenly snapped his fingers, and I, in turn, was pulled towards him by an invisible force and he caught my chin with his right hand and the back of my head with his left hand and his lips were inching closer to mine—

A loud crash resounded, and he reflexively pulled away from me, instantly alert.

"What was that?" he said, a serious look descending upon his face. "A thief?"

I grabbed this chance to try to dispel his spell on me while he was momentarily distracted. Concentrating fully, I released a bit of magic power outside my body, letting it merge with the magic holding me in place. Meticulously, I worked on separating the binds, and after a few moments I was free.

However, my triumph was short-lived, because since he was also a mage, he sensed the magic power I'd released and he turned to me incredulously.

"You…" A look of betrayal and anger crossed his face. "You bitch… You tricked me! You didn't tell me that you're a mage, too! You were playing with me the whole time—"

He never got to finish his sentence for I'd knocked him out in one strike using my magic-infused fist.

Natsu came inside the room soon after, looking triumphant as he held up the priceless, _priceless_ artifact in his hands. "I did it!" he exclaimed happily.

"Natsu! Be careful with that," I scolded, going over to him and taking the artifact from his hold.

At that moment, Natsu spotted Ken who was unceremoniously sprawled on the floor with tiny nonexistent yellow birds flying around his head.

"Whoa…" His voice was etched with wonder and… a bit of fear? "You… Did you do this?"

"Uh, yeah, I did," I replied sheepishly.

He looked at me with a strange expression on his face and was about to say something when Happy suddenly came bursting inside the room with something shiny in his hands.

"What have you got there, Happy? Natsu inquired, curious.

The blue cat went over to me and opened his hands, revealing a shiny gold key.

I gasped. "Happy! Where did you get this?"

"On the shelf where we got the artifact," Happy answered casually.

_Thieving cat!_ I thought in shocked realization. "O-Oi! You shouldn't just take things that aren't yours!" I reprimanded, giving him a look that spelled out, _No complaints, little kitty-cat, or else you're going to be barbequed cat roast for dinner._

"But… But Virgo came out of there and I told her about you and she looked so happy and told me to tell you that she wants you to own her key," Happy said in one breath, sniffling. "She also told me that the man who found her key isn't a Celestial Spirit mage and only kept her key just for show."

Recognition flashed through my face. "Virgo? You mean the Gate of the Maiden?"

"Aye…"

Natsu frowned, apparently having listened in on our conversation. "Well, then if this girl Virgie wants you to have her key—"

"…It's Virgo, Natsu…"

"—then it'd be best to keep it," he finished as if there had been no interruptions.

I stared at him. "But…"

The memory of my encounter with Draco came back to me.

_I stared at Aquarius incredulously. "Spirits can get out of their keys freely?" I asked her in surprise._

_She turned to me with a scowl on her face. "Of course they can. But only if they are desperate to find an owner."_

_That's right. Aquarius said that… _I turned to Natsu.

He was looking at me with a serious expression on his face. "It's the Spirit's own choice and will," he said. "Just like that dragon. But it's your choice, really, but if I were you, I'd take that key."

I stared at him in wonder, then at the key in Happy's hands. I let out a sigh.

"You're right," I said resignedly.

Slowly, I took the key and thought, _Mama, remember the promises I made to you? I'm already progressing on fulfilling those. Just you wait. I'm going to make you proud of me._

* * *

-;-

* * *

"_MAMA, HOW MANY KEYS are there in this world?"_

"_There are about 70 keys altogether, including the silver keys. I have 30 here at my disposal, and I will give them all to you when the time that I will disappear from this world comes."_

"_Wow, you have a lot, Mama! But… don't say that you're going to disappear! You're going to be with me forever, aren't you?"_

"_That's not possible, sweetie. Everyone dies. I am not exempted from that fact."_

"_Mama, please don't be like that! And you look sad again! Oh, I have an idea! Say, if I can get all the keys in this world, all of them bearing different Spirits, can you smile for me?"_

"_No need for that, honey, seriously. It's a difficult for any Celestial Spirit mage to achieve. Here, let me ask you something. Let's say an owner of four keys appears and you want to get them, but she treats her Spirits very well. What will you do?"_

"…_I don't know… It would be unfair to take them."_

"_That's right. Also, I can smile for you now. There's really no need for you to got hrough that kind of hardship."_

"_But Mama, your smiles aren't bright enough. I want you to be proud of me! I want your eyes to sparkle like the stars, I want your features to light up beautifully, and I want your smile to be as bright as the sun!"_

"…_Oh, sweetheart. I'm touched, I really am, but it seems that you just quoted the poem I recently wrote."_

"_Ummm…"_

"_You sneaked inside my room again, didn't you?"_

"…_I DIDN'T MEAN IT, MAMA!"_

* * *

-;-

* * *

MY OKAA-SAN DIED TWO days later after that, and just as she promised, she gave me all of her keys, and I had never felt so determined before. Back then, I always imagined that Mama was watching me from the heavens above, overseeing everything I did. I made myself believe that she was always here by my side, guiding me towards the path of light.

But that didn't change the fact that she was now gone.

Fairy Tail, especially Natsu and Happy, had made me feel alive. I was going on adventures. I was always laughing so casually. I had my own apartment. I had achieved getting some additional keys. I was starting to see life as challenging and beautiful at the same time.

Now, as the three of us escaped from the mansion, I saw that it was night already, and I smiled when I saw the skyglow; the illumination of the night sky or parts of it. Mama had told me once that skyglows can be regarded as a sign of something that will happen in the far future. I forgot what she specifically said, but I could have sworn that I heard the word 'love' escape from her lips. I didn't know what that meant back then, even now.

I wondered if I could ever understand the meaning of it someday.

* * *

**END** _of_ **EPISODE 3**

_Next time: Episode 4—The Return of the Titania_

* * *

**A/N:** Whew. Done.


	4. Episode 4: The Return of the Titania

-;-

* * *

**FT: The Mistress of the Universe**

by Her Pretty Smile

* * *

**Warning**: This is unbeta-ed. There may be errors evident. You have been warned.

**Disclaimer**: I do not own the popular manga series Fairy Tail. I couldn't possibly be able to create something _that_ popular and amazing. I am merely a writer, an amateur one at that, who only wishes to share some stories related to this wonderful series even if it is not as perfect as Hiro Mashima's famous work.

* * *

**Episode 4**: _The Return of the Titania_

* * *

IT WAS QUITE THE hot sunny day when I went out of my apartment. The sun's rays felt like fire on my long-time unexposed skin, and I had to squint my eyes to adjust my vision due to the immense brightness of the day.

I flinched inwardly as the burning sensation seemed to increase every time I took a step. I probed through my mind for past memories, searching for a particular scene in which Mama had mentioned something about being able to change the phenomenon through her own desire and will. But instead, I found blurry scenes and muted voices.

_Some help my memory is._

"I wonder why it's so hot, though," I muttered, producing a sliver key from space. "The weather, even if it's mostly sunny, always feels so cool…"

I concentrated my magic power to the key in my hand and chanted, "Open, Gate of the Producer, Triangulum!"

Almost instantly, a triangle-shaped Spirit with silvery metallic features and dark, shadowy edges appeared, giving me an emotionless smile as he bowed his head in acknowledgement.

"Mou, Triangulum-san, you don't really have to be so formal with me," I said with a smile, trying to make him become casual and friendly with me, not polite and aloof.

But he said nothing. He never did.

I sighed. Well, it was worth a shot. "Ano, Triangulum-san, would you mind transforming into an umbrella?"

He was silent as he slowly regrouped into bits of metal and assembled into a sturdy metallic umbrella.

"Arigatou," I thanked him warmly with a smile on my face.

As expected, he didn't reply.

I didn't expect him to, anyway.

As I held the umbrella while walking towards the guild, I thought of all the friends I'd made so far and all of the jobs that I'd gone to. The people in Fairy Tail were a crazy bunch, that was for sure, but they were also very friendly, warm, and welcoming. They'd opened the door to a brand new world to me in which I looked forward to for a better tomorrow. Sure, they were rowdy, they were invading my privacy often (especially two particular individuals), they were a bit gossipy (not too much, though), and they often went overboard with every little fight they partake in, but strangely enough, I felt content just as long as they were always with me.

They may not be perfect, but for me, they were the best friends any person could ever hope to have.

While I was drowned in my own thoughts, I didn't notice that I was already nearing the guild. The realization was snapped into me when I bumped my head on the door, _hard_.

"Itai…" I said, rubbing my forehead in pain.

'_Are you feeling all right, hime?'_ a voice asked as I felt one of my gold keys shine brightly.

I smiled. "It's nothing, Virgo. Thank you for worrying about me."

'_All right. Be careful next time, hime.'_ And the light faded.

Still smiling, I hurriedly thanked Triangulum and he disappeared into the Spirit Realm quite instantly. Then I opened the doors to Fairy Tail.

And then a table smacked headfirst on my face.

_That's weird…_ I thought rather calmly. _Did I just praise them earlier? Oh, no, no, I can't remember such an impossible thing!_

"Uh, sorry," a voice apologized sheepishly.

I turned to the source with my face obviously as red as hell and saw a guy about a year older than me with spiky dark hair that was tousled a bit, bottomless pools of onyx eyes, attractive features, and…

…he was _half-naked_.

My face turned redder than it was before and I instantly produced a bat out of nowhere and smacked the stranger with it so hard that he was thrown off.

"Wear some clothes!" I yelled at him.

He looked spellbound for a moment before picking up his clothing that was sprawled on the floor, his face tinged pink.

"Uh, right, sorry about that…" he said quietly.

I was a bit stunned by his response, but nevertheless extended my hand towards him, my cheeks turning red in embarrassment.

"G-Gomen," I said, not making direct eye-contact with him. "I-I get a little flustered and overboard like this sometimes… So, um, nice to meet you."

He looked surprised for a moment, then he smiled warmly, shaking my hand. "Nice to meet you, too…" He left his sentence hanging in the air.

"Lucy," I supplied. "My name is Lucy."

"Ah, the newbie." He let go of my hand and began to put on his clothes. "I'm Gray."

Feeling a sense of comfort with him, I began to attempt to initiate a conversation with him when he was suddenly knocked out of the way, and my eyes almost bulged out of its sockets when his clothes were gone simultaneously.

_Oh my…_

Then a boy with brown hair and blue-tinted sunglasses appeared in front of me… and _are those sparkles enveloping him?_

"Hello there, beautiful," he said charmingly. "What's your name?"

I hesitated. "I'm Lucy—"

"Ack! Lucy? The Celestial Spirit mage who helped defeat Bora of Prominence and also the one who got the legendary red key of Draco? You're _that_ Lucy?!" he said in astonishment.

I was bewildered by his reaction and words. "Uh, yeah?" It came out as a question rather than a statement.

His eyes widened as he took a step backwards. "Uh, this is the end of our love! I'm sorry. Goodbye!" And he ran off like the devil himself was after him.

"But there was never an '_us_' in the first place…" I muttered to myself.

_That guy's magic seems a bit queer…_ I thought, watching as the playboy got out of the guild in a flash. _And why did he react like that when he found about me?_

At that moment, a chair flew towards me (courtesy of… Natsu) and I barely dodged the object.

"Natsu, what's the big idea of thro—" I started to say when aforementioned person was suddenly punched out of the way by a large man with hair the same colour as Mira's.

"MAN!" he declared, pumping his fists into the air.

I sweatdropped. _Oh boy…_

"Gray," a woman about a year older than me who was sitting on a table drinking a barrel of ale said flatly, her long brown hair let loose behind her back. "Your _clothes_."

"Ack!" Gray scrambled for his clothes in haste.

Mira noticed the expression on my face and giggled softly. "That one there is my younger brother, Elfman, and those respectively are Macao, Wakaba, Romeo, Cana, and Gray. The one who fled out of the guild is Loke." She smiled at me. "I apologize for his behaviour towards you earlier. He seems to have a phobia for Celestial Spirit mages."

"Oh, I see. Um, are they always fighting like this? I mean, ever since I joined, all I've been seeing is the usual brawl…"

"Yes, unfortunately. But there is no bad blood here in Fairy Tail. They are merely expressing a form of friendship." The gentle smile on Mira's face never faded…

…even when she was hit straight on the head with a huge table.

"ACK! Mira-san!" I cried in a state of internal panic.

"Besides," she continued as if nothing happened, "it's more fun this way, don't you think?" before she passed out.

"Mi-Mira-san!" I said in horror.

Suddenly the doors swooshed open, revealing a female with long, vibrant scarlet hair and stern brown eyes carrying what seemed to be a wide cart full of luggage.

"E-Erza-san!" Macao exclaimed.

"Erza-sama!" Wakaba said at the same time.

Cana choked on her alcohol. "_Erza_?"

"I-It's Erza!" Natsu exclaimed, looking horrified.

"Oh, Erza, you're back," Mira greeted with a sweet smile, miraculously conscious with blood oozing down from her head.

"Mira?" Erza questioned. "You have a bit of a wound there. Who did that to you?"

One particular person flinched in the background and I had to cover my mouth to stifle the laughter that was threatening to come out.

_Typical Natsu_, I thought amusedly.

Erza's hawk-like eyes set on to me and I froze instantly, wishing that I hadn't made a sound.

"And who might you be?" she asked with a bit of curiosity etched in her voice.

"Lucy," I answered. "I'm a newcomer here."

The scarlet-haired woman scrutinized me for a quick moment before a warm, friendly smile graced her lips. "I see. Welcome to Fairy Tail then, Lucy." She turned to Natsu, then to Gray. "Oi, you two. Come here," she commanded.

They obeyed, coming in front of her.

Erza had a serious expression on her face. "I need you two to help me with something," she said. "It concerns a matter so important that I cannot let it go."

Natsu and Gray stared at her in shock. So did the whole guild.

"Oh my," Mira exclaimed, placing a hand on her mouth in surprise. "Erza seeking from? And teaming up with Natsu and Gray?"

I turned to look at her questioningly, and she caught my glance.

"Lucy," she said with stars in her eyes, "this may just be the strongest team of Fairy Tail!"

* * *

-;-

* * *

I HAD ABSOLUTELY NO idea why I was here in the train station with Natsu and Gray who were squabbling with each other to their heart's content and also Happy who was cheerfully munching on his face without a care in the world. And I had absolutely no idea why I was being tagged along with Fairy Tail's strongest team when I should have been in my cozy little apartment writing the latest chapter of my novel.

Maybe it was because of Natsu's persistence, Gray's imploring and encouraging look, and Erza's agreement to the idea.

Natsu was the first one to suggest it, actually, just when I was one step away from walking out the guild doors. While I was frozen in shock, Natsu began claiming that he and I worked well together and that my magic was awesome and all that. Then Gray piped in by saying that I seemed like a good mediator and that I was a girl, so Erza could have someone she could really talk to. The latter, having been easily persuaded and satisfied with the fact that Natsu and Gray had agreed on the same idea, asked—_forced_—me to come with them.

I sighed. Life just wouldn't let me relax just yet.

"Oi, _Luigi_, the train's gonna go now! Though I feel sick already…" Natsu turned a dark shade of purple at the last statement that came out of his mouth.

"Don't get motion sickness by just thinking about it!" Gray said with a note of exasperation in his face.

I turned to said person with a slightly surprised look on my face. Gray was fully clothed, with pants and a dark shirt covered by a white coat which complemented the dark colours of his hair and eyes and the somewhat calm, cool demeanour he showed off.

He was actually _good-looking_.

The thought alone made me blush slightly, but it faded once I walked over to them, emitting a casual aura and giving a warm smile as I entwined my arms into theirs in a nonchalant manner.

Natsu responded to the touch with a friendly grin while Gray gave me a cordial smile.

"What about Erza? She's not here yet," I asked them. Then, remembering something, I added, frowning, "And my name is _Lucy_, Natsu..."

The latter just grinned at me cheekily and I gave up, smiling.

"Erza's Erza," Gray said. "She'll come."

"Yeah!" Natsu agreed. "She's probably just late."

"I see..." I said in understanding.

* * *

-;-

* * *

JUST AS GRAY SAID, Erza arrived just as the train began to depart; she barely made it, but she looked calm as always while talking to—_reprimanding_—the driver of the train on his impatience of waiting for a passenger.

I sweatdropped while looking away from the window. _So that's the Titania Erza? She's scary…_

Inside the train, (Erza's scolding voice could be heard very, _very_ clearly) I was seated next to Gray, and across me was Happy, who was _still_ eating his fish, and Natsu, who looked like he wanted to puke right then and there.

"Oi, Flame Brain, the train hasn't even begun moving yet," Gray said in annoyance.

"Sh-Shut up, Ice Prick," Natsu choked out.

Gray smirked. "Can't let out any steam, huh?"

"Stupid Popsicle," Natsu shot indignantly.

I smiled nervously. "Guys, knock it off. We're in public transportation right now and currently attracting unwanted attention."

Erza suddenly materialized beside Natsu, looking satisfied. "Lucy is right. Were you boys fighting again?" There was a note of a threat laced in her voice.

Natsu and Gray sweated profusely. "N-No, ma'am!"

I giggled. _They sure are scared of Erza…_

"Ne, Lucy, do you know what kind of magic Erza uses?" Happy asked me.

"No," I replied curiously. "Why?"

"Well, Erza's magic is awesome!"

I turned to aforementioned person. "Really? Can you show me, Erza-san?" I knew that Erza was one of the strongest mages in Fairy Tail, but I didn't know what her magic was.

"Oh, please, call me Erza. And I think that Gray's magic is pretty. Even prettier than mine," Erza said modestly.

"Really?" I said for the second time, turning to Gray expectantly.

He turned to me, stuck out his hand, and slammed a fist on it. After that, a magic circle appeared, and also a beautiful Fairy Tail insignia made of ice.

"Wow, it _is_ pretty," I gushed. "It surprisingly suits you."

He smiled at me softly. "Thanks, I guess."

At that moment, Natsu emitted a moan, which unfortunately did not go unnoticed by Erza. She grabbed him by the neck and slammed him onto her armour, rendering him instantly unconscious.

Gray and I stared at the scene, horrified.

She looked over at us with a casual smile on her face. "He won't feel any pain now."

* * *

-;-

* * *

AFTER ERZA EXPLAINED TO us about the case of Eisenwald and Lullaby, I immediately voiced out my knowledge of the latter, and after the realization dawned into them that the dreaded flute was indeed very dangerous, we made a plan of action to stop Eisenwald from using it. But then a series of mishaps occurred, and after some time, we practically came to the point where we went inside the Oshibana Station where Eisenwald was said to be in. Erigor, the ace of the guild who said that he was called Shinigami Erigor, explained his plan to Erza; he wanted to broadcast the Lullaby in order to punish everyone hearing it because of their sin of not knowing that there were people not having the same rights and safety they had. It seemed that he was referring to the excommunications of the Dark Guilds.

"If you do it in this way, you won't get your rights back," I argued.

Erigor shrugged. "I do not want rights anymore. I want power, and those with power are able to rewrite history and rule the future."

Kageyama, one of the elites of their guild, said smugly, "What a pity for you little flies... to die without getting a glimpse of the dark age!" He then proceeded to attack me using Shadow magic.

However, I'd already expected that kind of action and got out of the way.

"Fast, aren't you? Well, take _this_!" He was about to throw another attack at me when a burst of flames suddenly stung his skin.

"Oi, _you_!" Natsu said, grinning. "_I'll_ be your opponent."

"Hmph… They've fallen right into my trap…" Erigor said, leaving the place.

Erza noticed this. "Natsu! Gray! Don't let Erigor get away! He's got the Lullaby with him!"

"What? With _him_?" Natsu exclaimed.

"Yes. Do you have a problem with that, Natsu?" Erza said threateningly.

"N-N-No, ma'am!" Natsu said immediately.

"Good. Now go, the two of you! Lucy and I will take it from here," Erza commanded.

The two went on their way, but not before giving us a glance that meant they understood. Happy followed after Natsu, intent on accompanying him.

Kageyama and a member named Rayule went after them, but I knew that Natsu and Gray could handle them.

They were strong, after all.

I turned to Erza. "Do we really have to fight them?" I asked, a bit hesitant.

"Of course," she said sternly. "From what you told me, Lullaby is very dangerous and it cannot exist in this world. Therefore, these people who have found that flute and planned to use it must be punished accordingly. Also, they blatantly refuse to tell us their _real_ plan. I did not expect Erigor to treat me like a damned fool." Anger coloured her voice, and I backed away, afraid. "That is why we will beat it out of them."

"W-What a firm strategy you have…"

Erza narrowed her eyes. "Requip! Heaven's Wheel Armor!"

All of a sudden, a blinding red light enveloped her body, and in a flash, she was wearing armour in which almost every part of it was seemingly made of silver metal. The upper part of the armour only consists of a small breastplate that was composed of feather-shaped plates pointing upwards with a large metal flower on the front which extended along her hips. Her biceps were covered by metal straps and her very large plated gauntlets sported feather-shaped plates at the edges. Her waist was circled by large, decorated plates reminiscent of feathers that lay on a long skirt. She wore a pair of plated boots which was partially hidden under her skirt, each sporting metal ornaments shaped like wings. She also wore a neck guard made of feather-like plates and a tiara with prominent metal wings. The armor also sported two pairs of large metal wings which adorned Erza's back, composed of metal feathers which got longer and larger at the edges.

I was left gaping at my position as she steadily wiped out a significantly large group of people in one strike.

_Erza's… scary… all right…_

"Lucy!" she yelled suddenly. "Look out!"

I turned just in time to see a flurry of knives coming after me. I stared at them in grim fascination, slightly amazed by the large numbers.

"Why are you looking at them?! Move!" Erza's angry, almost-desperate cry made me flinch.

But I didn't move.

After what seemed like an eternity, the knives were then blocked by an invisible barrier and promptly fell to the ground in a heap before they could pierce my body.

Erza stared at the scene, wide-eyed. "How—?" She didn't get to finish her sentence as she parried her opponent's attack.

"Shield Magic," I covered up.

I wasn't about to tell her that weapons didn't work on me. She'd be suspicious of the extent of my magic power, and I wasn't about to let my secret slip out in this world.

"Ah, I see. Impressive." She dodged an attack to her collarbone and retaliated by sending a massive attack to the perpetrators. "But you could have just told me, you know."

I laughed nervously. "Well, uh… I guess I was a bit dazed out there." Producing an ivory key from space, I then chanted, "Open, Angel of Daylight, Jessica!"

A soft white light enveloped the key in my hand, and then Jessica appeared, an angel with long brown hair two shades lighter cascading down her shoulders like a waterfall. Her warm gentian-blue eyes shone with intelligence as she gazed at me, and I felt a bit awkward standing behind her, a deity from the Heavens.

"You called for me, Lucy-sama?" Her voice was just as soft as her smile.

"Yes, Jessica," I said, smiling despite my awkwardness. Jessica was an offensive-type Spirit; she was the second strongest angel at my disposal. But the reason why I felt like this whenever she was around was because she could reach into people's souls (not literally, of course). Every angel could do it, but Jessica almost excelled at it—emphasis on the _almost_—because the strongest of the angels had mastered this skill, unlike her.

Which was why I always hesitated on summoning that particular Spirit out.

"Please take care of them for me," I told Jessica.

She nodded in understanding.

She closed her eyes, and when she opened them a second later, she sent out waves of magical energy from her fingertips. The rays of light coalesced, forming into a massive burst of explosions in the area.

Numerous members collapsed to the ground from the impact.

"Sh-She's strong!"

"The red-haired one's no joke, either!"

Erza looked impressed. "Celestial Spirit mages that can summon keys other than the gold and silver ones? That race is extremely rare. In fact, only one person in this world had been able to do that, and that was about 50 years ago. She was branded as a Legendary Celestial Spirit mage because of her exploits and achievements. I commend you, Lucy." She then skillfully dodged a swipe to her neck.

_The person you're talking about is my mother._ "Arigatou, Erza. Your magic is amazing, by the way."

She winked at me. "Not as amazing as yours."

I blushed in embarrassment. "Arigatou, but I still think that yours is better." I took out my whip from space and brandished it.

"You fight, too?" Erza's voice held a tone of surprise.

"Yeah, I do." I channeled a bit of magic power into the whip and it instantly enveloped in flames. I then struck at an unsuspecting opponent, and after a few seconds, I'd already cleaned out half of the large group in my side.

"I think it's time to end this. None of them are talking, anyway." Erza requipped swords and had them circle around them. "Dance, my blades!" The swords then began spinning rapidly around her and she sent them flying towards the opponents in a disc formation at first and upon impact the swords separated and flew in different directions, dealing great damage. In a flash, all of them were knocked unconscious just as Jessica finished with the ones on our side.

"We did it," I said, smiling triumphantly. "Arigatou, Jessica. You can go now."

My Spirit's smile diffused warmth. "Anytime, Lucy-sama." And she promptly disappeared back to her world.

Erza turned to give me a pat on the head. "Good work, Lucy. Now let's go find Erigor."

I hummed my agreement.

* * *

**END** _of_ **EPISODE 4**

_Next time: Episode 5—Lullaby_

* * *

**A/N:** I guess the description of Erza's armour was a bit too long… But all of you can skip the description of it. And, since I'd already started it, then I guess I'm going to have to describe every type of armour she will wear in the later chapters. Also, were the fight scenes good? Or were they bad? I'm still practicing on getting better with action scenes, and I don't know if I'm doing well or not. Lastly, I just want to ask you all if you like Jellal, Ultear, and Meredy, because they're going to have a role in this story that requires them to be a bit into the spotlight. I hope you don't mind.

**NOTE:** After some estimation, I think that this story is going to have _exactly_ 100 chapters. Is that okay with you all, or is it just too long for you? I plan to place some extras, fillers, and specials, too. You can say your opinion in a review if you want. :)


	5. Episode 5: Lullaby

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Fairy Tail.

* * *

**FT: The Mistress of the Universe**

by Her Pretty Smile

* * *

**Episode 5:** _Lullaby_

* * *

AFTER SPLITTING UP WITH Erza to find Erigor, I felt a bit of discomfort in searching through every room of the station. Something just didn't feel right. Their plan had a few loose ends.

Suspicion eventually arose in the pit of my stomach, but I had no evidence to prove that my hunch was right. Somehow, I had to find out what they were really planning.

After some time of fruitless searching, I gave up and went back to the room where Erza and I had fought the members of Eisenwald.

"LUCY!"

I jolted, turning to the source whose voice was coloured with fury.

"Erza?"

"Damn that Erigor. He trapped us inside this station!" _Yep, she's definitely angry_. "And I do not know of any way on how to get out of here."

"How did he trap us inside?" I asked curiously.

"He created a Wind Wall," Erza replied, gritting her teeth. "That bastard."

I was thoughtful for a moment. "Can I see it?"

She looked a bit surprised by my question, but agreed nonetheless. "All right. Let's go."

* * *

-;-

* * *

GRAY, NATSU, AND HAPPY came not soon after. Ignoring them anyway, I walked closer to the Wind Wall, the hindrance to our capture of Lullaby. I reached out and was about to touch it when someone suddenly grabbed my wrist and spun me around.

It was Gray. "Lucy, don't," he said. "You could have hurt yourself."

I blinked. "No, I wasn't. I was studying it because maybe I can nullify it so that we can get out of here."

His eyes widened in surprise. "You can?" he asked incredulously.

I nodded. "Okaa-san taught me some nullification magic when I was younger."

He stepped back. "Go on then," he urged.

I nodded again and turned back to the Wind Wall. Then, remembering what Mama taught me, I touched it, and at exactly the same time I used my magic power to scatter fragments of the spell, returning the Ethernano back to the atmosphere.

"Whoa," Natsu said in wonder. "Cool."

"Good job, Lucy." Erza looked proud. "It seems that you're even more reliable than I am."

I laughed nervously. _I'm showing them too much of my magic. What is seriously wrong with me? They could find out my secret!_ "I just know a few tricks, that's all," I covered up.

"Nonsense. No need to be so humble." She then proceeded to grab my neck and slam me against her armour. After that impact, I could literally see the stars dancing in my vision.

_Erza's… affectionate gestures… I'm going to have to get used to them somehow._

* * *

-;-

* * *

WHEN WE GOT OUTSIDE the station, Natsu suddenly bolted off with Happy in tow, leaving us staring blankly at his wake.

"Where's he going?" I asked no one in particular.

"He's got a damn good nose. Probably smelled that Erigor guy or something," was Gray's reply.

"Let's go follow him," Erza said.

I nodded in agreement and we began to run after Natsu.

After some time, we finally got to where he was, and we found Erigor on the ground, defeated.

"Wow," I said.

He gave me a cheeky grin. "Hey, Luigi," he said in greeting.

"It's _Lucy_, you idiot."

"That's seriously so hard to remember."

"You've got to be kidding me."

"Where's the Lullaby, Natsu?" Erza interrupted.

He was about to reply when a loud roaring of an engine suddenly interrupted him and we turned to see Kageyama with the dangerous flute, riding the car.

"Hey!" I said, bewildered. "How had he gotten here?"

None of them answered me. I kind of expected that, anyway.

I kept my eyes glued to the car, trying to piece the puzzle together.

The stunning revelation dawned on me in an instant. "Their true motive is the assassination of the guild masters," I said slowly.

Erza turned to look at me with an expression of horror on her face. "What? How do you know that?"

"He's heading for where they are having a meeting! In Clover Town!" I shouted over my shoulder, my legs already running on their own. Carefully, I pumped magic into them, making me gain speed.

_I should've done this in my past missions_, I thought absently. _It's real handy._

"Oi, _matte_!" Gray shouted. "We can't keep up with you!"

Erza was straight-faced. "She's fast…"

"She's _too_ fast," Gary panted. "What kind of magic does she have aside from Celestial Spirit magic?"

"I don't know," Erza said slowly. "She's a bit of a mystery."

"You got that right."

Natsu growled beside them. "He'd better not hurt the Master or else he'll be dead meat!"

"We should go faster, then!" Erza closed her eyes briefly. "Requip: Flight Armor!"

When the red light from her body faded, she was wearing a cheetah-printed outfit with a large collar around her neck and a tail hanging from the back of her shorts, both made of bushy fur, plus a pair of large cheetah ears adorning both sides of her head.

"Hey! No fair!" Natsu yelled when Erza dashed ahead of them.

After that I could hear them no more as I gained even more speed.

_Master… Please be safe!_

* * *

-;-

* * *

WHEN WE GOT TO Clover Town, we realized that we had arrived just in time. The demon Lullaby was wrecking the land; the flute's true form was one of a gargantuan wooden demon.

"Lullaby is a Living Magic created by Zeref," a man which I recognized to be Master Goldmine explained to us.

I narrowed my eyes. _Zeref…_

Lullaby seemed to have noticed us because it roared, "Who should I eat first? Hmm… Maybe I should eat _all_ of you, then!"

I immediately took out a two silver keys from space.

Master Bob gasped. "She takes out things from space! That's called Storage, a rare magic."

I chanted, "Open, Gate of the Shield, Cetus! Open, Gate of the Katana, Dorado!"

The two Spirits instantly appeared. I turned to Cetus. "Go protect the guild masters."

He nodded and went on his way. I then turned to Dorado. "Please lend me your power."

Erza smirked and requipped into her Heaven's Wheel Armor. "So you have an experience with swords, too, Lucy?"

"She has The Knight magic!" Master Bob exclaimed.

Natsu grinned, infusing his fists with fire.

"It's Natsu the Salamander!"

Gray made the first move. He slammed his fist over his open palm. "Ice Make: Lance!" Then multiple lances made of ice directed towards Lullaby.

"An Ice Maker wizard!" a person exclaimed in wonder.

Erza and I then made the second move. She attacked one of Lullaby's legs, and I hit its shoulder simultaneously. Natsu then climbed up on one of Lullaby's arms and kicked it in the face.

Enraged, it shot several magic orbs at Natsu, but the latter dodged them easily.

I took out an ivory key. "Open, Angel of Dawn, Tammy!"

After Tammy appeared, she immediately sent several beams of light towards Lullaby as if she were given a silent order.

"Requip: Black Wing Armor!" The armour she wore was black with silver trimming that had silver crosses in several places. It had a revealing silver-edged breastplate and plates flanking her hips that reached down to her waist-guard. The waist-guard left the front of her body exposed, with her groin being covered by a dark imbuement. She had large plates guarding her legs, and she had two wings that have black metal "arms" acting as the wings' leading structure, but the parts used to fly were composed of a membrane-like material. Also, Erza's hair was tied in a ponytail.

"This will be the last attack!" she shouted, gripping her sword and using it to slice through its arm. "Go, Gray, Lucy, Natsu!"

"Why you!" Lullaby roared.

Gray gave a smirk. "You don't have to tell me that!" he shouted, sending a mass of pointed icicles towards the demon, effectively impaling several parts of its body.

I concentrated a large scale of magical energy in my hands and made it grow bit by bit. After a moment, it was almost the exact size as Lullaby's lower body. "Take this!" I yelled, releasing the energy and pointing it towards the opponent.

It gave a loud roar just as some of its wooden skin turned to ashes.

"The finishing blow." Natsu generated fire on both of his hands and then joined them, creating a unique, larger flame as a result. He then threw a very large fireball at Lullaby, blowing it away and creating a visible suspension of carbon or other particles in the air as the surface of the land shattered into pieces of dirt and rocks.

When the smoke cleared, Natsu laughed boisterously, exclaiming, "Ha! It was just all talk!"

"Zeref's demon… _Defeated_… Just like that," one of the Masters murmured in disbelief.

Makarov looked proud. "Fairy Tail's strongest team indeed."

* * *

-;-

* * *

WE GOT BACK TO the guild, talking animatedly with the Master and recounting details on the events that happened before we defeated Lullaby. Natsu was leading the conversation, exaggerating details here and there, Gray was filling in the blank spaces which Natsu left behind, I was putting some additional information in the important places, and Erza was throwing in some comments. We were getting on the part where Natsu fought Erigor when the doors of the guild suddenly flew open and Gray was hit right on the face by a hammer made of… _ice_?

"Hmph," a voice said smugly. "Can't even dodge that, my cute little junior?"

Gray gritted his teeth as he broke the hammer into tiny little pieces with his magic, his eyes blazing with anger as he regarded the tall boy in front of him with disdain. "Lyon? What are you doing here?"

Aforementioned person was smirking at his 'junior', fixing him with an icy, contemptuous stare. He looked about two years older, with hair the colour of starlight and slanted onyx eyes that seemed so fathomless that my hand tingled to touch it or stare right at it.

"Because," he said coolly, lifting up his shirt and revealing a light-blue Fairy Tail mark on his chest, "I am a Fairy Tail wizard… _Gray_." Even the way he said the latter's name was etched with a tone that implied a barrier that wouldn't be so easily broken.

"What…?" Gray said, so astonished that he froze. "You're a Fairy Tail member? Wh-When…" he stammered.

Lyon gave a low chuckle. "I joined about two months ago. You were apparently on a job, and right after I became a member, I took a four-month long job. I've finished it now, so here I am."

"What?" Gray turned to Mira. "Why didn't you tell me about this?"

Mira merely smiled. "I didn't know that you two know each other. But I did tell you two months ago that there was a new member, but you just shrugged it off."

Gray's jaw dropped in a comical fashion.

Lyon smirked again, but this time, the amusement reached his eyes. "Now, now, my cute little junior. Why don't you want me here?"

Gray turned to him, his eyes flashing. "Because you annoy me, that's why," he said harshly before turning his back on him and starting to walk out the doors.

"Gray!" Erza said sternly, slightly appalled. "That was a rude remark you made. Apologize immediately!"

"No," he said with a tone of finality. "No one can make me tolerate that bastard. " He inclined his head slightly towards Erza, his eyes starting to narrow. "Not even you."

And he went out of the guild without a single word.

I subtly placed a hand over my mouth. "Gray…" I whispered.

Erza's expression was startlingly unreadable as her eyes fixed solely on the doors. I could see that her hands were clenched into fists, yet I couldn't seem to see any sort of anger in her face at all.

Lyon let out a sigh, his slight mischievousness gone in an instant. "I see that he hasn't changed at all," he intoned with a small smile. "Don't worry. He gets like that sometimes. It's his way of showing his affection."

"Y-You sound pretty confident about that…" I mumbled.

"Gray has always been kind of _tsundere_," L yon clarified, apparently having heard my remark. "He doesn't know how to express his feelings, so he resorts to ways in which he feels comfortable about the most."

"It seems that you know him pretty well," Erza spoke up quietly. "What are you to him?"

"I am his senior, as well as his older stepbrother." A wistful look appeared in his face, his eyes glazed in the capturing hands of memory. "We had an older stepsister, too, but she disappeared along with our stepmother, though the latter was her real one."

"Then she's dead?" To my surprise, it was Natsu who spoke up, his onyx eyes narrowed slightly. His pupils seemed to be swallowed up by pure blackness, and I was mesmerized by its sudden fathomless change.

Lyon shook his head. "I don't think she is. But as for my stepmother… I don't know."

The room lapsed into silence for a few moments before Erza finally broke it, her voice tinged with wonder and mild disbelief.

"He talked back to me," she said, gazing down at her armour-protected hands. "He's… never really done that before."

"Who, Gray?" Natsu's tone was neutral. "That ain't surprising, considering that that fact is obviously far from his mind right now. After some time, he'll realize what he just did, and he'll be too scared to face you."

Erza said nothing, but I could tell that she was a bit bothered. It seemed unusual for her to act like this, so I approached her.

"What's wrong?" I asked her, wondering just for the fun of it if she had secret feelings for Gray.

She turned her head sideways to look at me blankly. "He… never told me that he lost a part of his family."

I assumed that she was talking about Gray indeed, so I inclined my head slightly, an indication to her that I was listening. "Yeah, and?"

"Natsu, Gray, and I… when we were children, we used to be close. Not close as in the best friend kind, but close as in closer than any other member of the guild. Whenever we felt sad, we would always turn to each other and spill some of our secrets just to let it all out." She absently tucked an annoying strand of her hair behind her ear, continuing on. "Gray never talked much about himself. He was a bit more detached than the rest of us, and sometimes I got the feeling that he preferred keeping his memories to himself."

"He _is_ like that, you know," I told her softly.

"Sometimes… I don't know. It's like he's being a stranger right now." Erza let out a sigh and gave a small smile. "Well, enough of that. Right now, we are going to welcome back our new member."

I glanced at Lyon, who was talking with Natsu casually, his eyes lighting up when he managed to irritate the latter. After a while, it became an argument which seemed to me was one of Natsu's pointless debates about things which had no significance at all.

I smiled nonetheless. I was still new, and I didn't know everyone well that much. The only one who I could really talk to was Mama. I wrote letters to her everyday and stashed them inside a secret box. Writing to her made me feel comfortable, like a wave of peace instilled in me and made me whole again.

But somehow… I always got the feeling that when time would pass, I would get the same feeling from them, from my new home.

* * *

-;-

* * *

I'D THOUGHT THAT I was safe here in Fairy Tail, safe from evil hands trying to abuse and safe from the darkness trying to consume the light, but I was wrong. Something sinister was approaching, yet at the same time, it didn't feel so dangerous. It was like a lit candle that can't burn skin.

Sometimes, when I lie on my bed at night, I look out the window, seeing the lack of stars in the night sky. The hopelessness is overwhelming; I don't know what to do. Lives are lost, and all I can do is write and write. I'm useless, and all I can do is hope that somebody will restore the light inside me and make me strong again, because right now, I am weak, just because I've lost him.

* * *

**END** _of_ **EPISODE 5**

_Next time: Episode 6—Attack of the Phantoms_

* * *

**A/N:** Sorry for such a late update. I was grounded; I still am, but I'm just crazy. XD Anyway, thanks for reading. Christmas is coming soon, and I hope I can update a few more chapters before New Year comes. :)


	6. Episode 6: Attack of the Phantoms

**A/N**: I think, if I don't get tired of this story, this series will go on and on until I'm 24. There are three sequels to this, so… -_- By the way, this is one of my favourite chapters so far, and it was so nice to write. Hope you guys will like it. :)

**Note:** JcL107, That last part in the previous chapter was a snippet of the future. :) Sorry if it wasn't clear.

* * *

**FT: The Mistress of the Universe**

by Her Pretty Smile

**Episode 6:** _Attack of the Phantoms_

* * *

THE SOUNDS OF MY teammates' voices arguing and boasting about the events that happened in the job we took relaxed me as always in a strange manner that I couldn't comprehend. Normally, to others, it would be considered noisy, loud, and annoying, but to me, it gave a sense of comfort that I gladly welcomed with open arms. Since I was always cooped up in the mansion for seventeen years, I never really had any friends. I was always alone, and I never got to do things that normal children usually do. I was always inside my room either reading books, obeying a request otou-san made, or reviewing or practicing the spells Mama taught me. I always felt suffocated; I wanted to go outside and do everything—_anything_. I just wanted to experience life, not hide from it.

Suddenly I was reeled back to the present when I heard voices coming from the surroundings.

"Hey, those are Fairy Tail wizards…"

"The poor things… Seems that they don't know about it yet…"

Puzzled, I turned to the townspeople, the source of the voices. "What's going on?" I asked them.

One of them was about to answer me when Natsu suddenly said, "Hey, our guild doesn't look like that, does it?"

A sudden sense of foreboding swept over me like a block of ice. Then, acting purely on instinct, I rant towards the direction of the guild with Natsu full speed beside me.

"Something's wrong. I can feel it," I said to him, gritting my teeth slightly.

"I feel the same way," he replied with a tone of intensity that was similar to mine.

When we finally got to the guild, we were so shocked by what we saw that we just froze in our position, disbelief pouring over us like the rush of water.

"W-What the hell?"

* * *

-;-

* * *

"IT BECAME LIKE THIS when I got here first thing in the morning," Mira said in a sorrowful manner.

"Who did it?" I asked quietly.

"We suspect that Phantom is behind this," Cana spat, momentarily pausing in her drinking. "The cowards. They had the gall to attack the guild when no one was around."

"It happened around midnight," Mira said quietly. "Some witnessed the assault, and from what I gathered, it seems that Phantom's Iron Dragon Slayer was the one who did it."

My eyes widened in surprise. "Iron Dragon Slayer? Phantom… You mean the famous guild Phantom Lord?"

"_Hai_. Their guild master, Jose, holds the title of a Wizard Saint. In other words, he and the Master are at equal levels."

"Incredible…" I said in wonder. "Their reputation is almost as ridiculous as ours. What reason do they have for attacking us so suddenly?"

"I do not know the details myself, but I have to warn you that it's unsafe for anyone to be alone after this incident. I suggest that some of you will have to sleep over at a friend's house just to be sure."

"Good idea," Erza said in agreement. She turned to me with a gleam in her eye, and I dreaded what she was about to say next. "Then we shall stay at your apartment for a while then, Lucy."

"_EH_?" I said in pure astonishment. "But… But why my apartment?"

"Because it's wide and comforting. Plus, you have a big fridge."

My eyes were almost bulging out of their sockets.

"Count me in, then," Gray said, smirking as he unhitched himself from the wall he was leaning on.

Natsu grinned, placing an arm around me in a friendly manner. "Boy, this'll be fun, right, Luigi?"

My head was spinning. This was all going too fast… My house wasn't prepared for this yet… "This is your idea of _fun_?" I asked him incredulously. "And it's _Lucy_, you idiot. If you're going to stay over at my apartment, the least you could do is remember it!"

"But it's just so hard to remember!" he whined.

"Deal with it. And bring some sleeping bags, all right? Because I think that the couch doesn't really seem so inviting—"

"But your bed is so comfortable!" Natsu complained. "At least just let me sleep on it."

Scandalized, I said adamantly, "_No way_. How can you even suggest it?"

Erza nodded in agreement. "Lucy's right, Natsu. How can you even say that kind of thing?"

I breathed a sigh of relief. It was a good thing that I had a companion by my side, especially if it was Erza.

"You didn't even consider the two of us," Erza continued, gesturing towards her and Gray. "Where do you expect us to sleep? On the floor? On the couch?"

My jaw dropped open. Literally. "W-What?!"

Erza turned to me, not seeming to notice my agitated state. "Since Natsu mentioned it, I am a little intrigued myself. Will the four of us fit in your bed, Lucy?"

I felt like I was about to faint. "You're kidding," I said, incredulity colouring my voice.

Erza's eyes were stern. "Should I be joking about things like this?"

…_Oh hell._

* * *

-;-

* * *

WHEN I FINISHED TAKING a bath, I put on some clean clothes and wrapped my hair into a tight bun using the rose.

"Lucy?" Gray inquired, peeking inside my room. Then, when he saw me, his gaze turned to my neck.

"Hmm?" I lowered my head to where he was staring at and realized that it was my silver necklace that caught his attention. "Yeah? What about this?" I asked him, holding it up.

He frowned slightly. "I can feel some magic radiating from it."

"Oh. Really? What kind of magic?"

"Ice."

I blinked in surprise. "Ice?"

"Yeah." He walked over to me and touched the pendant hesitantly as if he were afraid that it would break. My eyelids fluttered as I breathed in his scent inconspicuously, the sweet scent of… frozen flowers.

"How do you know that? I didn't even notice it," I told him, curious.

He looked at me briefly before reaching down his shirt and taking out his necklace. It somehow looked silver, but at the same time, it looked like metal; it resembled a sword with a stone in it, one that I found a bit mysterious.

"This," he said, holding it up for me to look at it closely, "was a birthday gift from my stepsister." The way he said the last word disturbed me a bit. "She somehow infused it with magic, and whenever I wear it, I feel like I'm protected."

"Protected?" I glanced at my own necklace, trying to discern the foreign language engraved on the center. When I first got this, I researched and researched until all the books in the libraries were read by me. I just couldn't seem to decipher it or recognize it in some way. It was obviously not ancient Potamelian, it wasn't ancient Greek, and it wasn't Russian or Romanian or any other language I'd researched.

It was like it was a new language, one that hadn't been introduced to the world yet.

"It means 'I will always be here forever'."

My head snapped towards Gray, my eyes wide in astonishment. "You know this language?" I asked him incredulously.

"It's… It's the most ancient of all languages. It was the language the first people on Earthland spoke, but the language was long forgotten, like it never even existed." Gray lowered his head slightly, seemingly troubled. "I don't know how my stepsister knew that, but she did. She taught me some phrases and words in that language. Mine means 'Love can destroy when it's not placed in the center'." He pointed to the words engraved vertically on the pendant of his necklace.

"That's weird," I said, frowning. "Why would your stepsister give you something like that?"

"I don't know. She said that it was given to her long ago by a beautiful, regal woman when she helped her with her bags."

I bit my lip. Was it Mama? Was Mama the one who gave it to her? But… it didn't make sense. Why give it to a stranger just because of a little help? "Mama gave this to me," I said, my voice slightly trembling the way it always did whenever I talked about her seriously. "And she said that this necklace is a family heirloom. It was given to her by my grandmother, and then she gave it to me on my seventeenth birthday."

A few silent moments passed, and Gray finally spoke, taking a step away from me. "Let's not dwell on that further," he said slowly. "C'mon. I came here to tell you that Natsu and Erza are raiding your fridge."

"_What_?!"

* * *

-;-

* * *

I WOKE UP IN a jerking motion, a strange, overwhelming feeling of something that I couldn't quite comprehend washing over me like a tide. Dread? Fear? A sense of foreboding, perhaps?

Erza sat up instantly from the foot of the bed where she'd apparently slept. "Lucy?" she inquired, her eyes alert and scanning the room for intruders. "What's the matter? What happened?"

Gray woke up next to Erza, groggy from sleep. "What's happening…?" he asked tiredly, glancing briefly at the alarm clock on my bedside. "It's six in the morning," he stated monotonously.

A loud snore suddenly came from my left and I resisted the urge to smack the source awake.

"Hey, wait just a minute…" I said, realization dawning on me the moment my head cleared. "How did you three manage to fit yourselves in my bed? And why did you all just sleep in here without telling me?"

"I thought we'd already told you back at the guild," Erza said calmly and patiently, crossing her arms. "And Natsu was right; your bed _is_ comfy."

I wanted to face-palm right then and there, but now wasn't the time. "I feel funny, guys."

"Why's that?" Gray asked, his face filled with concern. But when I blinked, it was gone.

Maybe it was just my imagination.

"It's like… like something bad happened… I can't explain it very clearly, but…" I lowered my head, some strands of hair that were loose from my bun falling all over my face. Hesitantly, I lifted my hands towards my face and cupped my cheeks, wincing slightly from what I felt.

"What's wrong?" Erza's worried voice cut in.

I raised my head to look at her. "My skin is cold."

"Probably just fear. Maybe you just had a nightmare," Gray suggested, his voice sort of uncaring, but his eyes betrayed him.

Erza got out of bed. "If that's the case, then let us all go to the guild. Judging by the situation we have right now, it's better to face it all together." With that being said, she requipped into her usual armour, her expression serious.

Gray followed after her. He put on his pants (why the heck does he sleep with his boxers on, anyway?) and his shirt. After that, he put on his trademark white coat, his eyes holding the same intensity of seriousness that Erza had.

"Um, excuse me…" I said uneasily. "How do I wake Natsu up? He's a bit of a heavy sleeper—"

"Leave it to me," Erza said curtly, proceeding to go towards Natsu.

I moved away from the latter by going out of bed, curious about what kind of method Erza would use to wake him up.

Erza balled her hand into a tight fist and punched Natsu so hard that he was thrown towards the sky.

My jaw dropped to the ground in shock.

_Th-That was harsh…_

* * *

-;-

* * *

NATSU WAS MUTTERING SOME things under his breath that would've made Erza punch the daylights out of him (again) and I stifled a giggle, not wanting to let him know that I heard every word he said.

When I finished locking up my apartment, we noticed a group of people running towards the park, curiosity mixed with fear and apprehension on their faces. We heard some shouts and whispers, occasionally recognizing the words 'Fairy Tail wizards', 'poor things' and 'what a cruel way'.

Those were what got us sprinting towards the park full speed ahead.

"I knew it," I said in dread, breathing in heavy gasps. It didn't cross my mind and I just simply didn't bother to pump magic into my feet—the situation right now was too alarming. "I knew something was wrong."

"What could have happened again?!" Gray said through gritted teeth.

"Phantom better not expect that we will stay still after this!" Erza said angrily.

When we finally reached the South Gate Park where all the commotion was going on, we swept past the people and our eyes widened in shocked disbelief at what we saw.

I bit back a cry. "L-Levy-chan…" I whispered.

"Jet! Droy!" Natsu exclaimed. His expression had turned into that of rage. "Those Phantom bastards! They did this!"

In spite of my frozen, disbelieving state, I managed an inconspicuous glance towards Erza and Gray. The former was gripping her knuckles so tight that it turned white, and her mouth was stretched into a thin line as she lowered her head with a dark expression on her face. Fortunately, her bangs hid her eyes, but that didn't change the fact that she was alarmingly furious.

Gray, on the other hand, was in a state of angry disbelief. He was gritting his teeth so hard, and his knuckles were as white as Erza's.

Turning back to the horrifying scene, I walked over to the tree where Team Shadow Gear was pinned to. Shakily, I reached out to touch Levy, but I instantly retracted my hand, hesitation sweeping over me like a tide.

It was then that I noticed the mark of Phantom embedded on Levy's bare stomach that my jaw clenched.

_They won't get away with this. I promise._

Suddenly, I felt a great magical power approaching, but I paid no mind to it for I already knew who it was the moment I sensed that great intensity.

The Master stopped beside me, and I could tell by the aura he was emitting that he was definitely beyond furious. He was talking, but I couldn't hear his words. My ears were buzzing, my world was spinning, and a sharp stab of pain shot up. Wincing internally, I lowered my gaze towards my hands and saw that it was bleeding from where my nails had gripped too tight.

"Oi."

I turned my head towards the source and was slightly surprised to see that it was Natsu, his intense stare pointing towards my bleeding hands.

I attempted to hide them from his view, but figured that it would be useless for he had seen them already. "I-It's nothing," I muttered.

"It isn't to me." He grabbed my wrists gently, and a rush of heat shot up briefly into my body. His hands were warm, comfortingly warm.

He produced some bandages from the pocket of his vest and proceeded to wrap them around my wounds.

I looked at him. "Since when do you carry around bandages?" I tried for a light tone, but my voice didn't obey me, so instead it came out flat.

"Since now."

"I declare war!" Master's words suddenly reverberated inside my head, and after a few moments, I realized that he had said what I thought he had said.

Fierce determination swelled up inside my chest. _That's right._

_It's war._

* * *

-;-

* * *

A MAN GOT OUT of the guild, looking merry as he walked leisurely towards the direction of town. At that moment, I concentrated my magic power to the shape of a sphere, and when I released it, it burst into a wide beam of light splashed with the colours blue and white. The force came upon the man, and he went flying back inside his guild, his back crashing against the wall and destroying it in the process.

Loud cries of astonishment met my ears as we entered the said guild.

"What the hell—?!"

"Who did that? Show yourself!"

The response was Natsu's signature Fire Dragon's Roar in which he quickly gathered and released a large quantity of flames from his mouth at the people inside.

"Wh-Who are you people?!" a man demanded, a grey-coloured magic circle appearing on his hand.

"We're Fairy Tail, you bastards!" Natsu then proceeded to beat up another batch with flame-infused fists.

That was the moment when the real battle started.

Gray attacked other members with Ice-Make Magic while Elfman attacked some other enemies with Take Over: Beast Arm. Cana electrocuted several members with her Card Magic, Macao used Purple Net to grab some enemies, and Wakaba used Smoke Crush to hit them. Then, Alzack used Spark Shot to attack some other members. Someone tried to attack him from behind, but Bisca shot him before he could. In the other side of the room, Lyon was standing calmly with his arms crossed as he watched his polar bear made of ice attack some of the opponents.

After scanning the room, I took out a gold key. "Open, Gate of the Water Bearer, Aquarius!"

Almost instantly, huge waves of water splashed against about a half of the members, and frantically, they tried to fight the strong current that was threatening to wipe them all out.

But then the waves suddenly ricocheted back to us.

"What the—" Aquarius said, anger mixed with bewilderment colouring her voice.

Acting on instinct, I stretched out my hand. When the water touched it, I immediately dispersed the molecules of the fluid, rendering the water devoid of magic and making it evaporate into the atmosphere.

"Whoa!" Natsu exclaimed along with a chorus of cheers from my guildmates.

Aquarius smirked. "You don't really need me here, do you, brat?"

I lowered my head sheepishly. "Sorry. I just reacted. I should've remembered that you can absorb that water in your vase."

"You just acted based on your instinct," she said nonchalantly. Then a dark look came upon her face as she glared at me. "Next time, don't call me out when I'm with my boyfriend. Got it?! Don't summon me again, you brat."

I flinched, scared. "H-Hai!"

A faint smile graced her features before she disappeared into the Spirit World.

'Don't get reckless, little girl. You hear?'

I smiled. "I hear."

Suddenly the room went silent when the members of Phantom Lord stopped attacking and turned their heads. I followed the direction where they were looking at and heard quiet footsteps break the oppressive silence.

"You nullified Juvia's counterattack?" a dark voice said from the shadows.

I narrowed my eyes slightly. "Show yourself."

A figure of a girl about a year older than me with long blue hair that was tightly curled at the base appeared before me, her dark-blue eyes glaring at me reproachfully yet at the same time emotionlessly. She was wearing a navy blue coat, a fur shawl with a teru teru bōzu attached to it, and a Russian Cossack hat.

"Yes, I did," I replied warily, my defenses shooting up as I was aware of her approaching movements.

"Then Juvia will be your opponent," she declared flatly, placing her arm in front of her in a straight line. "Juvia will annihilate you."

I got out an obsidian key. "You seem to be mistaken. _I_ will be the one to annihilate you."

She did not answer me. Instead, she moved her hand in a swiping motion, and I found myself forced to return my key back into space and use Shield Magic in order to protect myself from the attack.

"So you just intend to block Juvia's attacks?" She narrowed her eyes slightly. "Then take this."

Suddenly I found myself trapped inside a large circular mass of water which contained no oxygen. I was unable to breathe and water was blocking my ears, but I could hear a faint cry from Gray calling my name.

"No one has ever gotten out of Juvia's Water Lock," Juvia said tonelessly.

I didn't know what to do. I couldn't take out a key because just moving took a great effort. I couldn't even concentrate on using magic. I also couldn't nullify this type of imprisonment magic because Mama hadn't taught me how to.

I could release some magic, but then it takes great precision and concentration to be able to do it.

It took me a while to realize it, but I was actually panicking. I'd never been exposed to so many fights and battles before. I may be the mistress of the universe as Mama told me, but I was inexperienced. I lacked battle strategy. I lacked even more skills.

_Am I a failure, Mama?_

"Give it up, Fairy Tail wizards." Juvia looked at me blankly, and I could detect no hint of sympathy from her eyes. "Phantom Lord _will_ have you, Lucy Heartfilia."

My eyes widened. She did _not_ just say what I thought she said.

But apparently, she did.

Faint echoes of 'What?!" and 'She's the daughter of _the_ Jude Heartfilia?' rang inside my head before I inevitably passed out.

* * *

-;-

* * *

I WOKE UP AFTER some time, feeling dazed. I sat up slowly in my position, looking around and analyzing the situation I was in.

My hands were currently tied together behind my back, and I was on a cold marble floor. Everything around me consisted of gray cobblestones, nothing more.

I did see a door, though, but it was a door-shaped hole overseeing the mountains.

Where the hell was I?

"Up already?" a voice asked with a hint of malice in its tone.

I was startled, but my defenses slid up. "Who are you?" I asked warily, shifting uncomfortably in my position.

"I am Jose. Jose Porla. The Master of the guild Phantom Lord." Aforementioned person stepped out of the shadows so that I could see his face.

He was a tall, slim man with long, straight, black hair reaching down to his shoulders and a thin mustache in which they had a dark, reddish tone. He had a long, sharp face, vaguely pointed ears, prominent eyelashes, and dark-colored lips. A slightly ominous aura radiated from his presence, and I narrowed my eyes.

"Why did you take me here?" I demanded.

He simply smiled. "Because your daddy told us to take you back."

I froze. It was like time had stopped at this very moment. "What?"

I couldn't believe it. My father would never do that. He never cared for me. He probably never even noticed that I was gone, and now he wanted me back?

"No. I will never go back to that place." It held too much memories of Mama. Also, _he_ was there, always intimidating, always imposing, always strict, and always… expectant.

And I couldn't—_wouldn't_—live up to his standards. I wasn't a delicate little Japanese doll that needed pampering and had to obey every little rule. I was human, too.

"You cannot escape, Lucy Heartfilia." Jose's voice was like ice that stabbed my veins.

"That's where you're wrong, _Master Jose_. " Using a different variety of magic, I infused my hands with flames, and in an instant, the measly rope that tied my hands together turned to ashes.

"Fire Magic? A bit… _unexpected_, coming from you," Jose remarked calmly, though something in his eyes told me that he knew more than that.

"That's not all." I instantly took out an obsidian key and chanted, "Open, Demon of the Night, Cynthia!"

A tall, slender woman appeared along with a dark, hazy light. Her hair was long and jet-black, her lips were a fiery red, her skin was pale, and she was dressed in a black revealing outfit. She also donned long black gloves and black boots.

"Lucy-sama," she said politely with an air of quiet elegance.

"An obsidian key?" Jose exclaimed in astonishment. "That's one of the keys the Legendary Mage Layla of the Universe used many years ago! How had you gotten that?"

I stared at him with eyes devoid of emotion. "Layla of the Universe?" I scoffed. "Don't you dare talk about okaa-san with that sickeningly admiring tone in your voice."

His eyes widened in surprise. I took pleasure in the feeling that I'd gotten him to show some emotion. "Okaa… san? Oh, I see… You _do_ look like her. I've just noticed."

"Shut up," I said venomously. I hated people talking about okaa-san in a tone with fake familiarity. "Don't act like such a normal person when you just order your guild around to hurt my comrades!" I turned to Cynthia, my eyes imploring. "_Onegai_."

She nodded at me, understanding my silent message, and struck Jose in an instant, catching him off-guard.

I grabbed the opportunity to dash towards the door-like hole—

—and stopped just before I fell to my death.

_It's a tower_, I realized in dismay_. A freaking tower about twenty stories high._

_How the heck can I get down from here?_

I was thoughtful for a quick moment._ Unless I have wings…_

"It's no use, Layla's daughter," Jose said, barely dodging but eventually blocking one of Cynthia's punches as he looked at me with a smug satisfaction in his eyes. "There is no escape for you here. I'd made sure of that."

I gritted my teeth in frustration. There really was no way out of here.

But then a tiny strand of hope held on when I heard it. It was very, very faint, but I knew that it wasn't my imagination.

Smiling, I turned to Jose. Then I took a step backwards and let gravity take its course.

I heard Jose's cry of shock as I felt myself going down and down and down—

"NATSU!" I shouted as loud as I could, knowing that his sensitive ears could pick it up easily.

I was still falling, falling, and falling, waiting for someone to catch me—

"LUCY!"

And then a strong pair of arms embraced me tightly like they never wanted to let go.

We collided into a stone wall, and Natsu's back took the brunt of the impact. I coughed slightly, and when the smoke cleared, I found my face only centimeters apart from Natsu's, and I froze, not knowing what to do next.

He seemed unfazed by our current situation (typical Natsu) and merely remarked, "You're really reckless, you know that?"

I smiled at him tenderly. "I knew you'd come for me, Natsu."

"Of course I'd come," he said nonchalantly. "It's you, after all."

My cheeks burned; it was all I could do not to show my rollercoaster-like emotions. Immediately I pulled away from him.

"Luucyyy!" Happy's voice resounded in my ears. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," I replied. "I'm okay… and I'm sorry."

"Sorry?" Natsu repeated in mild confusion, sitting up from his position. "Sorry for what?"

Tears surprisingly sprung in my eyes. I wasn't one for great emotion, so this shocked me a little. "I'm sorry for not telling you guys that… that I'm Lucy Heartfilia. I'm sorry that I… that I caused the guild to be damaged. I-I-I'm sorry for being here. I'm sorry for my father, I'm sorry for everything!" I stammered horribly.

Natsu had quietly let me finish. "Why should you be sorry about that?" he said.

"H-Huh…?"

"You never knew that your father would do this kind of thing, so it's not your fault." He looked up at the sky with a thoughtful look on his face. "Besides, all of us—even our friends in Fairy Tail—have our own secrets. Even if we don't know what they are, we still care for each other, _protect_ each other. We're _nakama_. We will always face one's problems together."

The tears streamed down my face. He knew everything. Someone must've told him. _Juvia, I imagine_. "I-I don't know what to say…" I stammered in my vulnerable state. "I'm… Thank you, Natsu…"

He turned his head towards me and grinned. "No need to thank me. You're my nakama. Of course you'll be forgiven."

A smile played on my lips as I shot him a grateful look. "_Arigatou_."

"You liiiike him!" Happy exclaimed, rolling his tongue playfully, effectively ruining the serene atmosphere.

"Wh-Wha—I DO NOT!" I denied, blood rushing to my face.

Natsu stood up. "Anyway, we have to go now." His eyes were filled with an emotion which I realized was determination mixed with anger. "Master got hurt. They'll pay for that."

I gasped. "Master got hurt?"

Happy had a sad expression on his face. "Yeah." He then looked at me imploringly. "But it's not your fault, Lucy."

_It's like he can read my mind_, I thought wryly. "It can't not be my fault, Happy," I said softly, lowering my head in shame. "I never should've run away in the first place. If I just stayed at home, then this wouldn't have happened."

"Quit blaming yourself for something that could have happened." Natsu turned to me, eyes filled with seriousness. "It's your dad's fault, not yours." He leaned his head back on his hands, letting them become a makeshift cushion as he changed the topic. "Anyway, can you stand?"

As if on cue, the searing pain from the momentum of the crash shot through my legs, rendering them immobile. I looked up at Natsu, the answer to his question filling my eyes.

"Can't be helped, then."

I blinked, clueless as to what he might do. Then the next thing I knew, he sat with his back in front of me.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"I'll give you a piggyback ride," he answered simply.

"What?" I exclaimed, my face turning slightly pink.

"He said that he's going to give you a piggyback ride, Lucy," Happy said in his now-annoying cheerful tone. "Are you turning deaf?"

"Why you—"

"C'mon, Luigi, hurry up," Natsu complained.

I froze for only a moment before the warmth began to spread throughout my body.

_Natsu…_

"You said my name," I told him softly. "Back there. When I was falling from the tower and you caught me. You called me 'Lucy'."

Was it my imagination or did his neck turn slightly red?

"I… I don't remember doing such a thing," he denied stubbornly.

I stifled a giggle, realizing that he must be embarrassed. "Yeah, sure." Amusement coloured my voice.

"Sh-Shut up. Now hurry up and climb on my back."

"They liiiike each other!" Happy remarked, rolling his tongue mischievously.

"HEY!" My cheeks turned pink again. "Cut it out, you freaking cat!"

"C'mon, Lucy. Natsu's waiting," Happy reminded me all too casually.

I grumbled some things under my breath that had something to do with torturing Happy with fish while I wrapped my arms around Natsu and straddled his waist. He responded by securing my lower thighs with his hands and standing up.

"You sure you're okay with this?" I asked him worriedly. "Maybe I'm heavy—"

"I can manage," he interrupted, his voice sounding muffled to my ears. "And you're not really as heavy as you think you are."

I blushed, hesitatingly burying my lips into his hair and inhaling the surprisingly nice fragrance of his shampoo.

"What're you doing?" His tone was hesitant.

"Your hair smells nice," I said, mildly dazed as I ruffled his hair tenderly using my right hand. "And I didn't expect it to be so soft…"

He stiffened slightly for a moment before unduly relaxing to the touch.

"Lucy sounds like a creepy woman, Natsu!" Happy quipped suddenly, stifling the laughter that was threatening to come out of his mouth.

A vein throbbed on my temple. Oh, this cute little kitty-cat was _so_ going to get it.

* * *

-;-

* * *

AT FIRST, I DIDN'T get why I should run away.

In Mama's journal, she explained to me in a letter that was slipped between the pages that I was going to be the next current mistress of the universe once she dies. She said that when she gave birth to me, she was stripped of her immortality and began to age. I inherited her powers and I was immortal, but I would only stop aging once I'd reached my maturity point—twenty-four years old.

What really puzzled me was what she wrote at the bottom of the page.

'_A month after I die, you should run away, Lucy. Run away from home. Leave your father. It's the only way to keep him safe, to keep the whole world safe. This is what you were born for. I'm sorry that I can't be there for you, but keep in mind that I will always be watching you. I love you. Just trust me on this.'_

That was all she said. But I knew that I was going to find the whole truth when the time came that I would go back home and find all of her journals. That way, I would know who I really was, what I was really meant for.

I just hoped that it wouldn't be so life-changing.

* * *

**END** _of _**EPISODE 6**

_Next time: Episode 7—Element 4_

* * *

**A/N: **All right, my longest chapter yet. Was it confusing? Was it good? Was it bad? Was it lame? Well, I'll still keep writing nonetheless. :) I don't really care if you insult it. Have a nice day, guys. ;)


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